GDT: [#13] Dallas Stars @ Florida Panthers, 6:00 PM CST (FS-SW)

[Satan]

It's just the same ol ahshitherewegoagain.jpg that happens every year.

I wonder how many fanbases say this each season.

In a shortened season anything can happen. This bullshit about tanking for a good pick is absolute nonsense.

Ride it out.

 

[Smelling Salt]

I wonder how many fanbases say this each season.

In a shortened season anything can happen. This bullshit about tanking for a good pick is absolute nonsense.

Ride it out.

Look I know you are on a high with your son playing well but you can take your optimism and get out

 

[Satan]

Leave my son out of this

 

[Troy McClure]

A lot of you guys have quickly forgotten that the regular season is like.

The Stars have like 4 games in hand on most teams in the division and there's a stupid amount of hockey left to the season.

If they keep losing, those games in hand aren't going to do much good because the hill to climb gets steeper and steeper. As it is now, they need to go 4-1-1 in their six games in hand on Chicago to pass them.

 

[Troy McClure]

It's just the same ol ahshitherewegoagain.jpg that happens every year. It's quite tiresome. Tired of losing to teams that seem twice as quick as the Stars. It's not reaching to say they are going to lose at least four more in a row either. Then it will be last in the division leading into the worst schedule in the league due to compression, and even games in hand can't save that look.

What helps drive fans to misery quickly is the boring style Hitch installed that remains largely in place. It makes for depressing losses when they default to dump and chase so often and can go very long stretches without generating scoring chances.

 

[Satan]

If they keep losing, those games in hand aren't going to do much good because the hill to climb gets steeper and steeper. As it is now, they need to go 4-1-1 in their six games in hand on Chicago to pass them.

6 games in hand to chip away at the difference and then another 37 games left to the season. There's way too much hockey left to the season to be doom and gloom right now.

 

[eartotheground]

6 games in hand to chip away at the difference and then another 37 games left to the season. There's way too much hockey left to the season to be doom and gloom right now.

i tend to be on the sunny side of things, but with the injury situation what it is, and the team not playing well for extended periods, there's not a lot to hold on to. we're not at the point i'd actively root for the team to tank, but if i were betting my rent money, it wouldn't be on the stars making the playoffs.

 

[Kipper 17]

6 games in hand to chip away at the difference and then another 37 games left to the season. There's way too much hockey left to the season to be doom and gloom right now.

I'm not super optimistic about the season but I agree that it's too soon for all the doom and gloom.

Last year they started the season 1-7-1, then followed that up with an amazing record up until the last couple weeks of the season and we know how that season ended. They are a streaky team that can be so much better than they have been the last few games. It's easy to look at the schedule and be a pessimist but you just gotta ride it out. I paid for NHL Live, so I have no other choice...

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

May not be remembering correctly, but I think stats show that teams out of the race by Thanksgiving in the regular schedule rarely make the playoffs. That's about a third of the way into the normal season. Stars have some wiggle room to get back in it, but not as much as in a full schedule, I think. I remember Gainey and Hitch were prone to shakeups at the 20 game/25% point.

I don't think we can count on the kind of comeback they had last year from a 7 game losing streak, those kind of comebacks are pretty rare, as well.

And, to quote Hitch again, your record is what you are. And probably, your last 5-10 games are what you are right now.

 

[Kipper 17]

I'm not trying to say they will go on the same streak they did last year. I'm saying this is a streaky team, so who knows what happens over the next 10 games AND that people often over-react to a teams most recent play. After a couple losses in the Colorado series I was in full "they are done, so blow this team up" mode. It's easy to have a "what have you done for me lately" mentality.

 

[The Tourist]

I agree that it's too early to throw in the towel because there is a lot of hockey left. But this team desperately needs Radulov and Seguin back and Seguin isn't coming back anytime soon. There's just not enough talent among the forwards and the talent we do have isn't producing.

Unless #14 and #4 get their games going then I just don't see a lot of positives. We have one forward line that looks dangerous consistently and that is 24, 34, and 21 and they aren't going to carry the team. Klingberg and Pavs have been good but that's 5 players.

This team has too many garbage players in the line up right now. Kero, Caamano, Cogs, and Dowling are not NHL caliber players. I'm not sure any of those guys could score if the opposing team was forced to play without a goalie. Kivvi is probably being asked to play above his head. Faksa should be one of the better bottom six centers in the league but looks horrible so far.

Benn-Seguin-Dellandrea
Robertson-Hintz-Gurianov
Kivvi-Pavs-Radulov
Dickinson-Faksa-Comeau

The above 12 is a playoff team and probably a good one. That starting 12 isn't walking through the door anytime soon. Instead we get crap like this.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

I'm not trying to say they will go on the same streak they did last year. I'm saying this is a streaky team, so who knows what happens over the next 10 games AND that people often over-react to a teams most recent play. After a couple losses in the Colorado series I was in full "they are done, so blow this team up" mode. It's easy to have a "what have you done for me lately" mentality.

Agree, we all tend to over react. That said, in the post after yours, we just have to understand this is not last years team full of players. It's a bottom tier NHL lineup at the moment.

We're currently without our two top scoring threats in Tyler and Rads, and down from 6 to 4 tested NHL scoring forwards - Benn and Pavs, past their primes, and Hintz and Guri, not quite to their primes. Who is going to carry us out of that group?

Only 1 of our 2 offensive Dmen are contributing offensively right now, i.e. Klinger, with Miro slumping. And, we did well to activate D in the PO last year, but seem afraid to for reasons that we can't score well, so we better defend. I'm wondering how much the PO attitude was "playing with free money" and play relaxed, vs being back to the conservative mindset and play not to lose?

 

[Troy McClure]

6 games in hand to chip away at the difference and then another 37 games left to the season. There's way too much hockey left to the season to be doom and gloom right now.

19 of the remaining 37 games are against the best three teams in the division. These games in hand and remaining schedule come against a much tougher schedule than what they've faced so far - both in terms of opponents and schedule. Even if you want to wait to panic, you have to recognize this is an uphill battle.

 

[M88K]

I think you guys are so doom and gloom because you bought to much into how they finished last season as an indicator of how this season was going to go.

 

[Troy McClure]

I think you guys are so doom and gloom because you bought to much into how they finished last season as an indicator of how this season was going to go.

I think anyone going into this season expected the Stars to make the playoffs. Missing the playoffs is a disaster.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Hockey God's have spoken on the Stars this year. Cosmic payback for something , I'm sure.

 

[BfantZ]

Stars might be in that year where they have to get worst before they get better . Robertson and dellandrea should be better towards the end of the year plus we will get seguin back . Don’t know if they will survive that late but they definitely could have a late run .

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

I think you guys are so doom and gloom because you bought to much into how they finished last season as an indicator of how this season was going to go.

Actually, most hockey pundits figured the Stars to fall back from a little to a lot. Most fans on HF (except maybe us) felt that each of the three teams the Stars beat in the PO were actually better than the Stars, but they got lucky (injuries to other teams, etc., as if we didn't have any.....) and hot at the right time.

We are, as a group, so pessimistic, I doubt many of us had us pegged to return to the finals, this time with a better result.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

I think anyone going into this season expected the Stars to make the playoffs. Missing the playoffs is a disaster.

My fear is the real disaster is even more injuries due to the compressed schedule. As someone mentioned, planned days off are essential to keeping the team somewhat healthy. It looks like we are going to be in a race for 4th place all year, and the natural reaction for Bones would be to ride any vets available to sneak in. I doubt they will respond as they get tired, without some rest. Tough question as to who fares better, tired vets or untalented and untested rookies and call ups.......

Worst long term possibility is we sneak into 4th, get wiped out in round one, but also get wiped out with injuries. Losing another 3-4 key players for next year and possibly beyond will set the team back further than getting a nice lotto pick will push it forward. I know its against "hockey culture" to stop trying, but this may be the year. With limited fans in the stands, its not like they are going to disappoint them as much as usual, although TV audiences will still be turned off.

 

[M88K]

Actually, most hockey pundits figured the Stars to fall back from a little to a lot. Most fans on HF (except maybe us) felt that each of the three teams the Stars beat in the PO were actually better than the Stars, but they got lucky (injuries to other teams, etc., as if we didn't have any.....) and hot at the right time.

We are, as a group, so pessimistic, I doubt many of us had us pegged to return to the finals, this time with a better result.

If anyone thought Calgary was better... they need their head checked.
But yeah getting past Colorado was found money, but the way they were crashing and burning at the end of last season I still believe without the covid pause we fall out of the playoffs last year.
Add in long term injuries to Seguin and Bishop, not addressing the lack of 2nd line yet again, and another year on the roster equivalent of a retirement home. I'd be pleasantly surprised if we made the PO this year, we're a 7 to 12 team or in a year like this a 4-6 team, when completely healthy.

The scf run kind of sucks because we may have gotten some real changes that the team desperately needs in the front office, but obviously going to a SCF, even if it prolongs tenure of inadequate gms is still a preferable outcome. Just means another year or two of sitting on our hands and failing to even attempt to address roster weaknesses because we got hot at the right time and hey it could happen again

 

[cizko]

That playoff run was fantastic after such a long dry spell. Whatever happens next, it was still worth it.

 

[Troy McClure]

That playoff run was fantastic after such a long dry spell. Whatever happens next, it was still worth it.

Oh, I agree. That's the whole reason to watch this stuff. These runs are what make memories.