First Shift 🏒
Since moving to Texas in 1993, the Stars rank second in the NHL in goals against.
Dallas’ 2.65 GAA trails only New Jersey in that span, so it’s easy to see what the identity of this organization is. That’s why the current ranking of 23rd (3.75 GAA) doesn’t seem like too big of a concern.
“It’s four games,” forward Seguin said with a shrug.
True, the Lads in Victory Green are 3-1-0 and actually looking pretty good early in the Glen Gulutzan era, but that doesn’t mean the new head coach wouldn’t like to get even better.
“It is early, but it’s certainly something we’re watching,” Gulutzan said. “We definitely have to defend better.”
This team currently is tied for second in scoring at 4.75 goals per game and has 12 different players with at least one goal. What’s more, poolies are lapping up the gravy that is Dallas Stars hockey, as Rantanen, Robertson, Thomas Harley, Hintz and Johnston are each scoring at a clip that is greater than a point a game.
That’s encouraging in so many ways, but it also begs the question of can there be more balance?
“We have enough offense, so that is not an issue,” Seguin said. “If we can perfect the defending, I think there should be no issues.”
Defenseman Esa Lindell is part of the conscience that allows the Stars to be good at keeping the puck out of their net, and he said the confidence is there that this can be better.
“It’s pretty clear that we need to sharpen things,” he said. “What we did (in a 5-3 loss to Vancouver Thursday), that can’t happen. But when we wake up this morning, we know what we have to do and that we have to be more consistent.”
The Stars are playing a Blues team Saturday that has also been inconsistent. They are yielding 4.25 goals per game, so this will be a good test for Dallas to find its structure and control. The irony for the Stars is they have had long stretches of fantastic play and then short bursts of letdown. Vancouver scored three times in less than four minutes Thursday. Winnipeg had a similar feat in the season opener.
“You’ve just got to keep working on the little stuff,” Gulutzan said. “You’re never going to dominate a game from start to finish, it doesn’t matter who it is. What we have to do is manage the waves.”
Dallas has scored first in every game and has been tasked with protecting nice leads, and that can be tough at times.
“That’s a challenge too, trying to play the same way whether you’re up or you’re down,” Gulutzan said. “We’ve had a lot of leads and we need to be able to extend those.”
Bottom line, they need to play “Dallas Stars hockey.”
“You know what it takes to get there, so I do think that helps,” Lindell said.
