Stars Taking a Standings Hit Through 2nd Week of Season
Teams do not need to panic during the first few weeks of a hockey season.
The Dallas Stars drop three in a row to move their record to 3-3-0. One three-game losing streak is no reason to start worrying, especially this early in the season.
Injury woes are already starting to burden this team, with four players out for varying lengths of time.
What clicked in the first three games eluded them in the next three, as they scored only five goals. Their special teams units are starting to take on water.
The Stars have plenty of time to right the ship with six months of hockey left.
No Reason to Worry
Qualifying for the playoffs is the bare minimum expectation for this season. Their 3-3-0 record through the first six games is not ideal. There are plenty of opportunities to get wins and points on the board with their schedule ahead.
The 2019-2020 Stars started 1-7-1 before rallying to compete in the Stanley Cup Final, albeit during the COVID-shortened season. Slumps happen all the time in hockey. Holding 7th place in the division is a less-than-desired position. There is plenty of time to start climbing the standings.
Injuries
Injury bugs are no strangers to recent Stars teams. Jamie Benn will miss considerable time due to sustaining a collapsed lung during the preseason. He will be out until at least November. Matt Duchene is sidelined day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Justin Hryckowian will take his spot for now. Nils Lundkvist is on the injured reserve with a week-to-week listing. Oskar Bäck still hasn’t played this season after sustaining an injury during the preseason. Players like Hryckowian and Ilya Lyubushkin will have bigger roles if more players are injured.
Special Teams
Both penalty kill and power play units are pivotal components to winning hockey games. While the Stars have a good power play, their penalty killing needs work. The combined percentage of a good special teams unit is above 100%. The Stars have the 4th-best power play at 29.4%, but the 3rd-worst penalty kill at 65%. They only allowed four shorthanded goals all of last season. That number is likely higher this season after allowing two shorthanded goals on the same power play in Winnipeg.
Every opposing team has a special teams goal against the Stars this season, minus the Blues. Allowing too many power-play goals can spoil a team’s game. The Stars need to do better on the penalty kill to climb the standings.
Positivity and confidence electrified this team through the first week.
Three straight losses are dampening the party.
The Stars are a good team this year, though they’re experiencing a slight slump this early in the season.
Their next 3/4 games are at home with plenty of opportunities to bounce back.
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