The Dallas Stars started the NHL season strong, but the last few weeks have treated the team badly.
The star group represented by five Finnish players has won only three of their last 11 games – and two of them only after the game-winning goal.
On the other hand, Dallas only lost twice in regular time during the difficult period.
It was clear, however, that the team hit its bottom last week by losing home games to Columbus and Chicago, back to back.
Dallas is still very much in the hunt for the Western Conference title, but at the same time, it’s fair to ask what caused the slide and whether there is reason to worry about the team.
Scoring
Perhaps the biggest sin of the team right now. Throughout the season, the Stars are still in the middle of the pack in scoring, but the last few weeks have been painful.
Entering this week, Dallas had scored just 2.43 hits per game this year, the third-lowest in the league.
During the same sample, Dallas has fallen short of three goals 13 times.
All eyes turn to the top players: Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson have taken care of their bread veteran captain By Jamie Benn with, but it has been quieter in the background. Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen are players from whom the team has needed more in the offensive direction.
In addition, key players have invariably lost their games in recent weeks. The power reading of Heiskanen and Seguin’s last 11 games is -7, Robertson’s -5, Pavelski’s -4 and Hintz’s -2.
– Does it come as a surprise to anyone that during the last 30 games, especially against Hintz’s super chain, they started to play harder? Teams push their preparation to the limit, defend against them with their lives and take less ice breaks than anything else, expert Ismo Lehkonen start.
Dallas has created enough chances, but the puck has not been able to get into the empty goal from time to time. The pain of scoring is more of a personal and five-level problem than a structural one.
– You also have to be able to make some mistakes along the way in your own way of playing. Bring something surprising there, says Lehkonen.
A game of superiority
Scoring goals at the NHL level becomes difficult without a functioning possession game, and Dallas has also come across this truth.
The efficiency of the star jerseys’ superiority game has frankly collapsed since the turn of the year. While in the fall season it hammered the puck into the backpack with almost 29 percent power, in January-February the reading is 10 percent.
Only Vegas has played a weaker power play than Dallas in 2023.
With inefficiency, pain and impatience have grown. With 59 power plays yielding only 10 hits, the players carrying the responsibility have started to try even a little too hard.
Too often hosing and carelessness have not only made it difficult to score goals, but also created a dangerous element for own goals.
In the four-minute power play against Vegas, Vegas was blessed with the best goal positions.
When the team has created chances, the puck has not been in the net. On the other hand, this also creates faith in a better tomorrow, because Dallas has been able to constantly create scoring chances.
– Here, too, it comes down to the fact that the opponents have studied Dallas’ superior game. Certainly many think Heiskanen’s shot is something they can live with. If this is the case, then I think Miro should start shooting more directly from the pass. After that, let’s play ice hockey, Lehkonen suggests.
From Heiskas – along with others – as the lineman of the first superior composition, it is really appropriate to expect a result. Heiskanen scored his first and only power play goal in the third game of the season against Winnipeg. 18 matches have passed since the previous goal.
Scope of material
The important question for Dallas is what it can find behind the first chain led by Hintz. Is there enough push in the background when thinking about success, especially in the playoffs?
– The breadth of the lineup is one of the reasons why we’ve done so well this season, the Dallas defender Esa Lindell stated to Urheilu last week.
Another view could also be justified. Behind the 1st chain and Miro Heiskanen, Jamie Benn has played a strong season. However, there are only five forwards in the team whose average points per game exceeds 0.5, and Tyler Seguin has completely disappeared from the picture in recent weeks.
– There is no getting away from the fact that there is not enough depth in this team. Now they source there from Montreal Yevgeny Dadonov, but that was a pretty small fish if you compare it to player deals made by others. When thinking about spring, Benn and Seguin play a really important role in this regard, Lehkonen estimates.
Sure, Dallas is still a very tight unit towards their own end. The team has conceded the second fewest goals in the entire NHL, which creates the basis for winning even in difficult times. You still have to be able to tighten the screw.
– This team has the guts to go all the way. We have to find consistency in playing again. It feels like others stepped up after the All-Star break, but we didn’t. Now a new level must be found. We have to play faster with the puck and hit the puck from places, Roope Hintz told Urheilu.