First Shift 🏒
In an 84-game season, there will be all sorts of challenges for a hockey team.
So with the Stars coming off their worst game of the season – and one of the worst in Glen Gulutzan’s career in Dallas – the team is looking at a potential bounce back as a real opportunity.
“That game, we weren’t good,” Gulutzan said of a 5-1 loss to New Jersey in which the Stars were outshot 27-18. “The (second) period was the worst period I’ve seen the guys play in my 100 games here. That’s on all of us to look at our emotional response there. It’s our job as a coaching staff to recognize those storm clouds and reverse the trap, so it’s a learning thing for everyone.”
The Stars had an optional practice planned for Wednesday, but then canceled it and told the players to get some rest. The coaching staff has been trying to balance energy with practice and has erred on the side of too much practice in the past. But Gulutzan said there were reasons for this decision.
“The decision today is we skated Saturday, we played Sunday, we skated Monday and played Tuesday, so now you’re four days on the ice,” Gulutzan said. “So once you get past four, you’re looking for a day off. This is a day that, to be honest with you, we were hoping we could win and give it off, but as much as you want your players to be emotionally responsible, you have to be emotionally responsible, too. Bringing them in and skating them was not going to make them better, in our minds.”
The Stars also have the challenge of a six-game homestand, where a team can get stale. With two more games to go – Thursday against Montreal and Saturday against Columbus – the goal is to reset and use the loss as a learning experience. But that won’t be easy with defenseman Kyle Capobianco joining Esa Lindell on the injured list and a minor league blueliner probably getting the call up. Add to that the fact that forward Sam Steel could possibly hop back into the lineup and rookie Dylan Hryckowian getting sent back to the minors.
“There‘s always something to learn, and maybe even more from your losses,” Gulutzan said.
Stars players were asked if this was just one of those games where you toss it out and forget it, and while some agreed with that, others said it would be good to ask some questions about this one.
“No, I don’t think so,” Roope Hintz said when asked if the team should just move on. “We don’t want to get those bad nights because every game is important. So we just want to get what we can from this game and bring that against Montreal.”
The Canadiens have won three straight road games and are 7-3-2 overall, so they present a challenge. Jake Oettinger will be back in goal after Casey DeSmith played Tuesday, and Oettinger brings in 1.48 GAA (third best in the league) and a .929 save percentage. Still, the fix goes beyond just who is in net.
“I think you’ve got to look in the mirror and figure out why the result was what it was,” captain Benn said. “Then come back and make sure it’s only one.”
