The first 11 games of the Dallas Stars season are behind them now. You can now grade their start based on their performance so far and it’s an A+. Everything seems to be clicking so far with a 7-3-1 record, which is good enough for the Central Division lead. Start expecting more out of this team than last season. Their 7-game first-round exit could have gone better last year but they are a better team now. The offense is scoring with ease while the back half is a brick wall in shutting the door down. How far can the Stars go this year?
Offense
Jason Robertson is leading the way offensively. His 7 goals and 15 points in 11 games is closely followed by Roope Hintz with his 14 points. The top line for the Stars is consistently producing but it’s the depth that is providing a much larger relief than last year. Players like Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment, and Joel Kiviranta are some of the players with multiple goals on the season. Wyatt Johnston has made the biggest first impression so far with 4 goals in his rookie season so far. Expect a great final placement on the season if they can keep it up.
The Back End
The Stars are 2nd in the NHL for the fewest goals allowed. Jack Oettinger’s stellar performance is backstopping this great start. His .952 save percentage is the best in the league out of goalies that have played more than 2 games. Only allowing 9 goals in 7 games is an incredibly good number. It’s a good thing the Stars re-signed him in the offseason because he is one of the key pieces for the future of this franchise. Everyone is pitching in by helping keep the puck out of the net. Only one player on the whole team has a negative +/- and that number only is a -1. This team is strong in all departments.
The Road Ahead
It’s easy to get excited about the fast start but there is still a long road ahead for the Stars. The end of the regular season is still 5 months away and there is still lots of hockey left. The Stars have high expectations now and they should be able to exceed their finish last year, which is winning a playoff series or better.
