Sleet poured over the city of Dallas for a little bit. The current weather situation in the Metroplex fits its hockey team. The Dallas Stars are ice cold. The All-Star game is this weekend so there is plenty of time to rethink their strategy during the break. They are far off from a playoff spot. Calgary beating the Stars after being down 3-1 in the 3rd period is the anti-cherry on top. That’s twice in recent memory where they’ve had a lead late only to record 0 points. These points are crucial as they are on the outside looking in. It’s time to fix the Stars.
Flame On
A 3-1 lead late in the game is safe, right? Not for the Stars, especially at home. The Calgary Flames were down 3-1 with less than 6 minutes remaining. They won in regulation. The Stars seem to have meltdown after meltdown this season. They had a 1-goal lead in St. Louis going into the final minute only to get 0 points. These are at least four points that snuck away there. Six points if you count that dismal showing against the Montreal Canadiens. These missed opportunities hurt.
Points Gone
The Stars would equal points with the Flames for the final wildcard spot right now had they not sank. You need to win games like that at home. Now they are four points out with a game ahead. The games against the Blues and Flames may have decided the season if the Stars miss the playoffs. 3rd place in the Central is 10 points out so the playoffs are slipping away fast. The Stars are losing games they should win and that is crippling to their playoff hopes.
What Needs Changing
Stars fans are pretty clear on Twitter who they blame for these misdeeds. If the team misses the playoffs this year then two people are likely going. Head Coach Rick Bowness and Defenseman John Klingberg are on the hot seat. These two seem to take the blame for a lot of these losses. These two can have a big impact if they turn things around.
If the Stars continue on their current path they will miss the playoffs. They cannot let games like this get away from them. The All-Star break is a perfect time to recuperate and get it together. Someone or something needs to light a fire under their bellies. 5-5-0 in their last 10 will not get them to the playoffs. The Stars have a lot of work to do over the next month.
Photo Credit: Dallas Stars Twitter
