Dallas Stars Working Through Growing Pains
When your team enters the new season with a new head coaching staff, you’re not going to have a team with perfect chemistry on the ice and behind the bench. Thus far, the Stars’ record has been proof of team chemistry problems.
There also has been signs of promise.
At least the first three games were good. Since then, not so much. Sloppy and inconsistent play has been on overdrive early this season.
The lineup is missing a lot of guys, which doesn’t help the rehired head coach, Glen Gulutzan. But the Stars got to start winning again.
Giving Games Away
Dallas has had a problem with giveaways. And we’re not talking about the team’s promotion schedule. Turnovers and lapses on defensive assignments have cost the Stars some games early.
It’s still early in the season. Expect the goals against and save percentages to improve for a team that generally prides itself on keeping the puck out of its net. You will lay an egg here and there when you play 82 games. It doesn’t help that the Stars are still in a feeling-out process, getting players and coaches on the same page night to night.
The PK Ain’t Special
Right now, at least, the Stars don’t have that top 5 or top 10 penalty kill that we’re all accustomed to seeing. Having your penalty kill rank in the high 20s out of 32 teams ain’t a good look. Something that most people doubt we’ll be seeing come April.
With the penalty kill, as with the defense and goaltending, it will improve as the team continues to gel. At least they’ve shown that they can still kill penalties at important times to hold on to win games.
Injuries Happen
Dallas suffered many injuries early in this season. None felt more than the absence of Matt Duchene, and when Roope Hintz was out for a bit. Duchene is the playmaker Dallas’ offense is missing. The Stars are happy to have Hintz back, though.
Stars Captain Jamie Benn is inching towards his return to the ice. Benn is showing everyone his toughness and resilience during his rehab from a collapsed lung back in the preseason.
In spite of all the inevitable adversity the Stars have faced, they’ve still racked up points in the standings in 9 of the last 10 games.
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