Dallas Stars: One Night Can Change A Lot Of Things
Last night, the Dallas Stars held off the Colorado Avalanche for yet another win. That one victory turned out to mean a lot more than just two measly points.
Get this, Stars fans. The Dallas Stars have now won three games in a row for the first time this season. It only took them 37 games to get here!
Last night, the Stars welcomed the NHL’s worst Colorado Avalanche to the American Airlines Center to kick off a three game homestand. After coming off of victories against the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes, the Stars were looking to do something they hadn’t done all year: win three straight games.
They did just that. With Tyler Seguin (two goals, one assist), Jamie Benn (three assists), and Jason Spezza (two assists) all having big nights on the top line and the team as a whole playing a dominant style, Dallas secured a 4-2 win over the Avs.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Stars fans were getting excited. The team upped their points streak to five games (4-0-1) and was on a 5-1-1 tear over their past seven games. They are quickly picking up speed after a slow start to the 2016-17 season, and things are beginning to look up.
But the excitement turned out to be for more than just the two points and the win streak. With the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames losing their respective games last night, the Stars moved into the final wild card spot in the Western Conference and could make a move into the first spot on New Year’s Eve when they play the Florida Panthers.
The Stars currently sit with a 16-14-7 record and 39 points. They are one point ahead of the Kings and one point behind the Flames. They are only three points out of third place in the Central Division, but are also three points out of 11th in the conference. So things are still tight. But if Dallas keeps winning, their standing will work itself out.
So win streak, solid play over the last half of December, the team finally gaining chemistry on offense, defense and in goal, and a playoff spot. That’s a good amount of positivity coming from one win against a subpar team.
But the positive news kept on rolling into Friday morning. At the Stars’ practice, head coach Lindy Ruff announced that F Patrick Sharp was ready to return to the lineup after missing the last 12 games with concussion-like symptoms. Antoine Roussel is also closing in on a return after missing the last three games and is “about 80 percent there.”
Not only that, but Kari Lehtonen is also 100 percent and cleared to play. He was knocked over by Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla last night in the middle of the third period and had to leave the ice for the remainder of the game.
The injuries are starting to clear up, the wins are becoming more consistent, and the Dallas Stars are getting on a roll. How could it get any better as they attempt to close 2016 out with a victory over the Panthers that would up their streak to four?
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