It’s a process: Stars have plenty to like and tweak through first two weeks

It always fascinates me to see just how many vastly different opinions can be formed about a sports team in such a small span of time.

Fans of the same team committed to pulling the same rope can somehow feel entirely opposing ways about their club’s performance and direction. Thoughts ranging from “it’s time to move on from the coach” to “they actually look much better and more complete than last year” pollute the airwaves, podcast episodes and social media feeds as everyone grapples with trying to define the team in question.

It’s just another thing that makes sports so unique.

Throughout the past two weeks, the Dallas Stars have forged down a winding and unpredictable path to get to the seven-game mark. And with the first 1/12th of the 2026-27 campaign in the rearview mirror, they sit in a similar position as they did on opening night: at .500 with a record of 3-3-1.

But, as you are already well aware, merely mentioning the middling record and wouldn’t do proper justice to the journey that brought them here. There have been unexpected hiccups, pleasant surprises and frustrating moments all wrapped up into the trek. And there’s still 77 games to go.

As Billy Beane tells his team in Moneyball as they attempt to reinvent the path to success in baseball: “This is a process, it’s a process, it’s a process.”

That’s a pretty good way to encapsulate the ride so far. So, with that being said, what have we learned about the 2026-27 Dallas Stars through two weeks?

Quite a bit, actually.

It seems like a mini-lifetime since the Stars kicked off the campaign with back-to-back divisional losses against the Blues and Predators. They scored just one goal in both games combined, the penalty kill had a rough night in Nashville and the entire team just looked a little flat out of the gate.

Then, in true Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fashion, they flipped the script with two consecutive shutout wins against the Sharks and Sabres. They scored nine goals in the two-game stretch, including eight at 5v5 and one on the power play. Jake Oettinger posted back-to-back goose eggs and climbed to a career-best shutout streak of 188:52 (the fourth longest in franchise history).

But then the offensive inefficiencies resurfaced as Dallas went 59:30 without a goal in a game against the Penguins before Tyler Seguin tied the game late with the goalie pulled. They would eventually lose in a shootout before heading home and falling just short to the Avalanche in a 3-2 decision on Tuesday.

That led them to a quick turnaround in Denver on Wednesday, where they turned the tables and secured a 3-2 win over the Avalanche in a shootout.

Which leads us to the 3-3-1 record and a team that has shown both areas of immense strength as well as some pieces of its game that could use polishing.

Let’s start with the strongest aspect, being the defense. As of Thursday morning, the Stars sit top three in goals against per game (1.71, 1st), shots against per game (23.1, 3rd) and save percentage (.938, 1st). They’re averaging a league-best 1.00 goals against at 5v5 per game and are the only team yet to allow 5 goals in any period this season.

The Dallas penalty kill currently sits 9th at 87.5 percent and has only allowed three power play goals (two of which came in the first period against Nashville on Oct. 3) while also logging a shorthanded goal by Arttu Hyry on Wednesday in Denver.

Now, this defensive success isn’t a noteworthy development. After all, the Stars have been one of the NHL’s stingiest defensive teams for the better part of a decade.

But to add some impressive perspective, the Avalanche began the season on a historic run with 26 goals in their first five games. That tied for the most by any NHL team in the last 23 years. In this week’s back-to-back against the Stars, they were limited to just five goals (one of which came on a 5-on-3 power play). The Dallas blue line did a stellar job at limiting high-danger chances and keeping their own end clean to play, according to Glen Gulutzan, a “really even six periods” against one of the league’s top teams.

Of course, no defensive effort is complete without radiant goaltending. Enter Oettinger and Casey DeSmith. Both goalies hit the ground running in the first two weeks. In five starts, Oettinger has two shutouts and has allowed just six total goals. His .944 save percentage and 1.20 GAA both rank in the top five among NHL goalies. He continues to earn the proverbial title of “Mr. October” with sterling numbers in the season’s opening month throughout his career. Meanwhile, DeSmith has 49 saves on 53 shots faced (.925 save pct.) in two starts, allowing just two 5v5 goals over the span.

On the other side of the ice, the Dallas offense is still finding its way. Perhaps the most telling nugget is that in three wins, the Stars have 11 goals. In four losses, they have just four goals. They are averaging 2.14 goals per game (30th) and have netted 11 goals at 5v5 (tied for 21st). The power play is still trying to find its footing after a historic 2025-26 campaign, going just 2 for 16 in the first seven contests. They’ve earned two or fewer opportunities in four games, so the lack of consistency in attempts could certainly be prohibiting them from unlocking the flow.

But even with the overall offensive attack being a work in progress, there have been a number of bright spots. Miro Heiskanen might be chief among them. The defenseman currently leads the Stars with three goals and a plus-five rating. He had nine goals in 77 games last year and has only posted double-digit goals twice in his career, so the early surge is nothing short of promising as the coaching staff aims to unlock more of Heiskanen’s offensive abilities.

Mikko Rantanen is rolling at his usual point-per-game pace, while Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin are starting to hit their usual stride after missing large chunks of last season.

Perhaps the most impressive part is that Dallas has navigated it all with a revolving door lineup. Joel Kiviranta was injured after blocking a shot against San Jose and missed a week. Radek Faksa was knocked out of the game in Pittsburgh after taking a puck to the inside of the knee. Wyatt Johnston missed both games against Colorado after falling ill prior to Tuesday’s game, while Oskar Bäck left Wednesday’s contest in Denver with an upper-body injury that landed him on IR.

Top it all off with the fact that Matt Duchene will be out until the new year and you have a real juggling act going on up front for the Stars right now as they hunt for more offense. The fact that they have managed to pull the proper strings and find success with a tight cap situation and nagging injuries is a noteworthy achievement by itself.

So, as we enter the third week of the 2026-27 regular season, where are the Dallas Stars headed? While they may not be red-hot out of the gate as in recent years (5-1-1 in 2023, 5-2-0 in 2024), they were an identical 3-3-1 through seven games last year. That nearly identical group to this year’s followed it up with an 18-2-4 surge, providing a nice reminder that the season is still in its infancy and could go in any number of directions.

These Stars simply seem to be weaving their way through the hurdles and challenges of an early season. There is plenty to be proud of and plenty to tweak. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there is a lot of runway left to continue building towards ultimate success.

Don’t forget, it’s a process.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Josh Clark is a writer for DallasStars.com. Follow him on X @Josh\\\\\\\_Clark02.