Every team in the NHL goes into each new season with their expectations. Some teams consider making the playoffs a great success while others losing in the Stanley Cup Final is a failure. The Dallas Stars are now 30 games into the season. Their record so far in the year is exceeding expectations. A 17-8-5 start is exciting for Stars fans. This great start to the season means that the expectations change. Now winning just one playoff series is not enough. How far can the Stars go this year?
Better Team Than Last Year
Who can forget the heartbreak of that Game 7 overtime loss against the Calgary Flames last season. That Stars team could have won the series but got awfully close. They only scored two goals per game in that series. The Stars this year are averaging 3.67 goals per game. Jason Robertson and his 23 goals lead the incredible scoring. The offense was the missing piece last season. They can go a lot further with this year’s team. Getting past the first round should now be the bare minimum of this season.
Just How Far Can the Stars go?
Every team has aspirations of winning the Stanley Cup going into the season. The Stars can be one of those teams. What constitutes a successful season for this team other than the Stanley Cup? Sure it would be nice to win it all but what defines failure/success? Winning one playoff series is not enough. Playing in the Western Conference Final should be a successful season. Winning the Stanley Cup is the best outcome. How can they do it?
How Can They Do It?
Getting to the Western Conference Final is a successful season with the talent this team has. The top line provides but it’s the depth scoring that is a huge solution to the offense equation. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are doing loads better than last season. Another performance like Jake Oettinger’s in the playoffs will backstop the Stars to that point. His .956 save percentage proves that he can handle the pressure of a 7-game playoff series. These are all the makings of a good hockey team.
The Stars can become Stanley Cup Champions this season. They are a fun hockey team to watch. This team can be scary to face in the playoffs. Playoffs time is a long way away though. The 17-8-5 Stars have a long way to go until then but expectations change. Enjoy this team this year, they have the potential to be something special.
Photo Credit: Dallas Stars Twitter
