Game Day Guide: Stars vs. Avalanche

First shift 🏒

If the Stars reach quarter point in the 2024-25 season, they will definitely face some challenges.

After back-to-back trips to the Western Conference finals under coach Pete DeBoer and his staff, this year has had an inconsistent start. Dallas had the best road record in the NHL and the best in franchise history last season at 26-10-5. This year, Dallas is 5-6-0 on the road and also suffered another “home loss” in Finland. This is something that needs to be addressed.

But conversely, they are much better at home, going 8-1-0 at American Airlines Center, reinforcing the realization that this is a very different season.

So when comparing the two performances, there is a lot to clarify. Dallas was second best last season at .689 and is eighth this year at .619. The Stars were third last season with 3.59 goals per game and are eighth this year with 3.38 goals per game. However, they are still in eighth place in both categories.

But it doesn’t feel like it.

“I don’t think this team has faced a lot of adversity in the last two years, and there’s a lot coming our way right now,” Duchene said after a 6-2 loss Wednesday in Chicago. “We just have to sort things out and keep working and keep pushing.”

The Stars’ biggest problem so far has been their lack of success on the power play. Dallas is 25^Th in the success rate on the man advantage is 16.7 percent, after ranking sixth last year with 24.2 percent. They have also conceded three short-handed goals after allowing just four all of last season.

“We have to find the balance,” Johnston said. “You can’t panic, you have to stay focused. You just have to outdo the penalty killers. You have five people, but you still have to work harder than their four.”

The Stars will get the chance to do so with some great tests coming up. Dallas hosts Colorado on Friday and Winnipeg on Sunday. The Avalanche are starting to rebound and are 7-2-0 in their last nine games. Winnipeg leads the NHL at 18-5-0. Dallas is currently in third place after winning the Central Division last season.

Still, this is a strange season. With the league shutting down for the Four Nations faceoff in February and the Stars taking a week to travel to Finland, the schedule is shortened. This means players and coaches have to adapt. Still, a lot of good teams have had challenges this year, and that’s part of the game.

“When you look around the league, you realize we’re not the only team going through this,” DeBoer said. “You have to commit and stick together, get your foundation back and play better hockey.”