Building character and having fun: Stars taking impressive strides amidst adversity

I’ve been doing this long enough to know you shouldn’t get too excited about a regular-season game.

But darn it, if that didn’t feel like a statement win on Tuesday.

In a lot of ways, it was a microcosm of this season. After all, it hasn’t been the easiest of years for the lads in Victory Green, starting off with a wonky training camp and preseason that featured the absences of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and head coach Pete DeBoer, quickly swerving to a trip to Finland, careening toward surgeries for Miro Heiskanen, Tyler Seguin and Nils Lundkvist, and bouncing through a 4 Nations experience that was both invigorating and exhausting.

It has been interesting.

And Tuesday’s game was the same way. The Stars had moments when they looked like the best team in hockey and moments when you jumped on the iPad and started looking at what might be available before Friday’s NHL trade deadline. As it has been for much of the past month, Dallas has struggled at times in the big picture but been absolutely golden in the key moments.

So it was that all seemed hunky dory with a 3-1 lead heading into the third period against the Devils. After all, the Stars were 28-1-1 when leading after 40 minutes, so this was just a matter of shutting things down and adding an empty-netter or two to pad the already gaudy stats.

But as it has often been in the past couple of weeks, the opponent raised its game to a different level. DeBoer has talked a lot about how hungry the bubble teams are, and it seems like right now Dallas is playing a lot of bubble teams. So what you saw from the Devils on Tuesday was absolute desperation. You can’t manufacture that when you’re snuggled into your Victor E. Green beanbag chair and sipping the hot cocoa that comes with being 17 points above the cut line in the West.

Fact is, Dallas looked a little overwhelmed when the Devils displayed truculence, tenacity and temerity. When New Jersey tied the game with four minutes left in the third period, it was leading 10-2 in shots on goal for the third period, and overwhelming a Stars team defense that has had some breakdowns in recent weeks.

You were probably prepared for a hiccup for what has been the best team in the NHL since New Year’s Eve. It happens, it will be okay. They had that loss in Columbus that was pretty ugly. They lost two games in California before the break. You know this is all part of the journey, and you know your squad has given you a very nice pillow in the standings, so you’re not going to panic just yet (at least some of you are not going to panic).

But then, something wonderful happened. As the game wound down, the Stars got their own hunger. Instead of playing not to lose, they decided to play to win. As Robertson circled in the offensive zone and looked for a teammate, he found Thomas Harley at the left point.

The right guy at the right time.

Harley walked in and snapped a shot through a crowd that found the back of the net with 4.8 seconds remaining in regulation. It was glorious. The eruption was louder than the tornado sirens that pierced the air earlier in the day. The expressions of joy, relief and pride were beautiful.

It was a cool moment for a lot of reasons. One, this team really does seem to be better when it’s under intense pressure. Two, the players who are marching through the adversity are some of the younger guns. Harley is 23, but he has been around the NHL since 2020. He went into the bubble in Edmonton for two months and learned a lot, even though he only played in one game. He was able to jump straight into the AHL because of COVID, and then bounced back and forth because he was still learning. He was 22nd in defenseman scoring last season with 47 points and eighth in goal scoring with 15 in what was a breakout year for him. This season, he put himself in the discussion to be a part of Team Canada, and when the 4 Nations team needed a sub, they called on Harley. He played in two games against Team USA, including the championship, and won a gold medal.

That’s an important stepping stone, and his confidence since then has been obvious. Tuesday’s performance just builds on that.

Now, if Heiskanen is slow to recover from his knee surgery, there is a real belief that Harley is a legit No. 1 defenseman in the NHL. That’s big in so many ways.

Just as big is the fact that both Robertson and Johnston have recovered from their injury-plagued starts and also are among the best in the league since Jan. 1. Robertson ranks fourth in the past 25 games with 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists). Johnston is fifth with 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists). Matt Duchene is eighth with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists). Roope Hintz missed three games but is still 11th with 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists).

Dallas has the most wins and most goals since Jan. 1 thanks in large part to a scorching hot power play. That’s not an insignificant sample size. Mix in the fact that both Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith have been solid in net, and you realize why this team is so tough to beat on most nights.

That’s a scary place to be, as you don’t want to get overconfident or peak in the regular season, but Tuesday’s win might have uncovered the scar tissue that could make this group unique. They did lose in the Conference Final in each of the past two seasons. They did lose some key players to injury. They did have to battle this year to gain the confidence they are showing right now.

And that makes a difference.

Adversity builds character…if you find a way to overcome the challenges.

That’s why a win like Tuesday’s is so important. It hardens the souls of the individuals, as well as the team. It creates experiences that can be recalled in the future. It makes you smarter and stronger and calmer.

As we ponder what might happen on Friday at the trade deadline, I would suggest that Dallas has already added a heck of a lot just in the maturing of this young core.

My guess is the playoffs will only help to further reveal it.

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

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.