Stars must end two-game skid against Flames

Joe Pavelski had a simple statement after Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, a loss which gave the Stars consecutive road defeats for the first time since October.
"We've got to respond," the veteran forward said. "We've played a lot of good hockey on this road trip. It's in this room…respond."
It's a direct message, but it might be that straightforward.

All teams face adversity. Good teams respond. That's the way of all sports and especially the way of the NHL.
Dallas has overcome a bunch of adversity this season, from bad travel to scoring slumps and adjusting to a new coaching staff. It has found a way to battle through all of it. The players and coaches said in training camp that a huge goal was to not let losing streaks linger. The franchise has battled slumps in the past, which is one reason it has been teetering on the playoff bubble for the previous six seasons.
It's one of the reasons this campaign under Pete DeBoer and his coaching staff has been so refreshing. Dallas started fast, avoided slumps, and has been at or near the top of the Western Conference since October. But things are tightening up now.
Minnesota is 11-0-3 in its past 14 games (a franchise point streak) and is technically percentage points ahead of the Stars for first place in the Central Division. Colorado is 11-3-1 in its past 16 games and now sits three points behind the Stars with two games in hand.
That's scary and motivating all at the same time.
If you're in the Atlantic Division, the top three seeds are pretty much set, and that could make for some boring games going forward. Sure, you want to play well and get your game ready for the post-season, but there isn't the real fear that comes with battling for your life. The Stars lost two games in a row, and now they have to buck up on Saturday in Calgary.
There's something positive about that.
It's not the win-or-go-home they have faced when they danced around eighth place for weeks in previous March's and April's, but it is real. They need to make a statement and do it as quickly as possible or the playoff road could get a lot tougher.
If Dallas can hold onto first place in the Central, the first-round opponent would likely be Edmonton, Seattle, Winnipeg, or Nashville. That seems a lot better than having to meet Colorado or Minnesota, especially if either of those teams has home ice.
Now, there are some mitigating circumstances. A team who has been the healthiest in the NHL for the first five months of the season is currently missing Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment. Seguin suffered a leg laceration in Buffalo a week ago. The cut did not go into muscle or nerves, so his recovery should be easier. He's in Frisco skating on his own and will rejoin the team for practice on Monday when they get back. We'll know more about his timeline then.
Marchment had a knee-on-knee collision in Seattle and flew back to Texas. He is out for three to four weeks, according to GM Jim Nill. That's a problem, as Marchment was just hitting his stride with three goals and three assists in his last five games and a line with Seguin and newcomer Max Domi was just finding its chemistry.
Now Domi is left to work with new linemates and the offense has dried up in the past two games. Dallas has three goals and several players seem to be gripping their sticks tightly again. That has been part of the team's problems this season. When adversity does strike, they seem to dig in as hard as possible, which only creates tension and can result in frustration.
It was the case in January and February, and it was the case on Thursday for sure. Had Dallas just connected on a power play chance in the first period, the score would have been tied and the game would have been different. However, the Stars fumbled the chance and Edmonton went up ice and scored shorthanded. It created a hill that was pretty tough to scale.
So, getting that scoring touch back, and not allowing the previous demons to enter their collective psyche, will be huge. They have done it before, and they can do it again. As Pavelski said, it's in that room.
And if they need any external push, just look at the Wild and Avalanche. Minnesota got word on March 9 that Kirill Kaprizov will be out 3-4 weeks with a lower body injury, but they have plowed ahead. Colorado has been one of the most injured teams all season and has found a way to deal with those limitations, as well as a Stanley Cup hangover.
Now it's the Stars' turn.
Yes, adding Domi and Evgenii Dadonov seemed like huge boosts, and they still will be, but they got offset by the losses of Seguin and Marchment. That said, if the team didn't have the two new guys, think of where they might have been right now.
Bottom line, good teams push back at times like this. Dallas still has its best scorers, its best goalie, and its full defense corps.
Respond.
The top players have to dig in, the role players have to step up, and the coaching staff has to tweak what it has. If it takes juggling lines, so be it. If it takes a few changes on defense, have at it. This crew has liked sticking to the status quo and it has worked well this season, so we'll see what they have in store. But the collective group must, at the very least, harden itself mentally. It has to get into playoff mode right now.
"Go win the next one, we've done it all year," Pavelski said in his matter-of-fact way. "Everyone can get a little bit better. We all can be a little bit better, a little bit sharper, and generate a little more."
If they do and both Seguin and Marchment come back strong, then they really could be a handful in the playoffs.
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 Twitter @MikeHeika.