Next step in Stars' process might be more difficult - and more important

NEWARK, N.J. --While it was easy to soak in the hot tub of positivity after a 3-1-0 start last week, the Stars now have to be careful to not catch themselves sinking in quicksand.
In the span of two quick road games, Dallas' quick start has gone pfft. While there were good things that could be gleaned from the film Monday after a loss in Ottawa, Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Devils will likely be burned.
New Jersey was dominant in a quiet, confident way, and that uncovered a lot of flaws in the Stars' game.
"New Jersey was the better team," said coach Jim Montgomery. "The way they worked was where we want to get to."

It was a lesson learned for the Stars. They saw in Ottawa that young players can seize a game and play smart even when they're not dominating. They saw in New Jersey that a team filled with role players can put on relentless pressure and add scoring. They saw a vision of the game plan that is being drawn up.
The problem is you saw a vision of the past. You saw ghosts.
If you were worried about the lack of forward depth before the season, you're even moreworried now.

If you felt the defense was too young or too small, that feeling is even moreintense.
If you thought the risk/reward balance of Montgomery's system was going to take a while to adapt, you wonder just how long the Stars have.
Look, a 3-3-0 start isn't the worst thing in the world, especially when Dallas gets three games at home over the next 11 days to fix things. But the problem with all of this is the environment in which the fixing must be done. Instead of building on positive thoughts and beliefs -- like they were three days ago -- the Stars now are trying to push out the negative fears that have dogged this team for years.
What if they're just not a good road team?
Even Tyler Seguin said this feeling was all too familiar.
"It's repetitive of the past year or two when we haven't done the job on the road," Seguin said. "Luckily, it's just two games and it's early in the season, but we've got some stuff to figure out."
They're certainly not going to panic, but it does create an interesting learning lab. It's been pretty fun in training camp and the first four games, and it's not near as much fun now. Tough decisions will have to come from the coaching staff, and film review in going to likely move toward the more critical.

How does everyone respond to that?
Here was Montgomery on the reason why this team hasn't been as good in the past two games.
"I see a big difference in how the majority of our players play at home and on the road," he said. "That's something we have to address, and that's between the ears."
It's going to take some mental strength to solve these problems, it's going to take incredible patience to stay patient. It's going to take a team effort to find their team game.
Can they do it? That's why we watch.
And to be fair, this isn't a three-game solution, it's a three-month solution. In theory, they want to fix this for three years and beyond.
Asked to break down some problems, Montgomery said: "We have to be five guys in the picture. Whether it's on the forecheck, or whether it's on our rush defense, or whether it's in the defensive zone, we're just not connected and we're not together. We don't see the five guys together, so we can't sustain offense or we can't break the puck out quickly because we're not together."

That's a pretty strong statement about how much work has to be done, and it's very easy to take that and start sinking in the quicksand of the past.
The good thing about Jim Montgomery and Co. is they haven't been here for the past 10 years, they haven't lived through the disappointment like you have. So they can look forward with confidence even when things don't look so great.
Now, that doesn't mean that what you're feeling is wrong.
The players who have been here shared that feeling after the game.
But what they hope to do is use that negative feeling in a positive way.
"To me, there's an attitude you have to have," Montgomery said, "and it's us against the world."
A few more games like that and he won't have to manufacture that feeling.
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,and listen to his podcast.