Let the games begin…

The sound of skates has become clear to the ears since the middle of January, each National Hockey League team wanting to make the cold cut of the playoffs. Nearing the last few months of hockey, the playoff teams are becoming more pronounced, and the winners are making themselves known. The reigning Stanley Cup Champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are currently ranked #1 in the entire league, and they are still looking fresh after their first cup win in Edmonton Alberta. There are a few teams though that have slid down to the bottom of the standings; one of those teams being the Dallas Stars.

‘Tis the season…

While green fans were optimistic about the Stars making it easily back to the Western Conference championships, the team isn’t looking so starry-eyed at the moment. With a current record of 11-12-10, the Dallas Stars are currently not making the cut for the playoffs, ranked #7 out of 8 in the Central Division. With a little over 25 games to go, Dallas has a lot of ground to cover, and quickly. The team is trailing behind 4 points behind Columbus, and 7 points behind Chicago and Nashville. In order to make the playoffs, the Stars have some work to do, and fast. 

This being said, the team is at a disadvantage, a few of their key players, including Joel Kiviranta, Alexander Radulov, and Roope Hintz out almost every other game with injuries. Radulov is a play-maker for the Stars, and many, including myself, love seeing the ice-fireball skate around for Dallas; however, out with a lower-body injury and sidelined for almost half of the season’s games, if the team doesn’t get Radulov back, there is a good chance that the team may not reach the playoffs this season. Roope Hintz accounted for many of the goals during the Stanley Cup Championships, and also being a playmaker, his energy is missed on the ice. As far as Joel Kiviranta goes, he was the gametime saver of a close overtime game with the Colorado Avalanche last season, getting the series-winning goal. Without this rookie’s quick thinking, the team is short of many key players that lead to the important wins.

Many hockey fans are familiar with the term “Stanley Cup Hangover”. For those who are unaware, this term simply means that the team that loses the Stanley Cup in the finals often has a hard time getting back in the game. For Dallas, the term seems ever-so prevalent. Tampa Bay played well against Dallas in the championships, but Dallas put up a fight, so technically, the Texas team should have no reason to hang their head; however, it seems as though with the addition of a few disadvantages, the team is having trouble creating the same spark that was in the playoffs.

The Owl Opinion

Q&A Section with yours truly, Natalie McLaren.

Q: Do you think that Dallas has what it takes to make it into the playoffs?

A: Yes, personally speaking, I do. I think that we need Radulov back for good, as he’s been out for most of the season, but if Jamie Benn scores more, Heiskanen stops turning the puck over, and Klingberg learns to actually defend the zone, I think we could have a chance.

Q: What things need to change in order for Dallas to get back in the game?

A: The first period for the Stars has been really inconsistent, and this has contributed to making the team have to play a game of catch-up, one that they don’t always win. Once teams like Tampa Bay get a goal or two ahead, it’s very hard to catch up, and because they have a habit of playing sort of dirty, it’s dangerous to give any team a lead like that. If we played a more consistent, all-around clean game, I think that would be enough for us to spark some wins.

Q: What aspects of the Stars make Dallas the comeback team?

In the few wins we do have, the Stars have succeeded at their “catch-up” game. I think we don’t throw in the towel when we’re down in the dumps score wise, and for a lot of these games, we fire a lot of shots on goal at the person in net, and unfortunately for us, most of those shots don’t go in. Goalies like Vasilevsky (Tampa Bay) and Bobrobsky (CBJ) are key factors in why we don’t win our games because they keep the puck out of the net. The cool thing about the Stars though is that they don’t give up, so there might be a chance of them making an unbelievable comeback.

All Shots on Deck

The clock is ticking for the Dallas Stars, and there is practically no room for error. With pucks flying everywhere, it’s about time that Dallas got one of those in the back of a net; and quick. Sometimes being a Star means doing the seemingly impossible; it’s their time to shine.

Go green, go big, go Stars.