Let’s reminisce: How a busy, whirlwind stretch has helped define the Stars

One of my favorite conversations on a road trip is with none other than the great Dallas Stars scribe himself, Mike Heika. From Stars line combinations, to the sport of hockey as a whole, to movies and best Sonic drinks, I know that Heika is always up for a good chat.

Of all our chats, one of my favorite topics with him has to be old music. As an old soul myself, any chance I get to ramble about Billy Joel, The Eagles, Bee Gees or ABBA is a chance I’m taking eight days a week. (See what I mean?)

But one of my “can’t skip” songs from the ‘70’s is Reminiscing by Little River Band. Not only do I love some LRB and the upbeat tune, but I also enjoy the general concept of reflecting on the past. Lessons, good memories, and questions abound can lead you down some intriguing rabbit holes.

It can prove to be quite a thought-provoking exercise when done correctly.

Let's take the Dallas Stars’ last 10 days for example.

Back on February 15, the Stars dismantled and demolished the Predators in Nashville by a final score of 9-2. Matt Duchene scored two goals against his former club, Dallas hung 8+ goals on a team for the fourth time this season and the team moms were having the time of their lives. Dallas moved to an impressive 8-1-1 in its previous 10 games and was generating space between itself and the rest of the Central Division.

That feels like months ago now, doesn’t it? After all, there has been a lot of moving and shaking to keep up with over the past week and a half.

The Stars have been fighting an uphill battle over the past five games including a mass of injuries, a lengthy road trip, and a handful of showdowns with other top NHL teams.

Now usually a five-game span can’t tell you all that much about a team since everyone goes through surges and slumps in a given season. And when you try to focus on five games in an 82-game perspective, it can be a difficult task.

But when we really reminisce and reflect on all that’s happened in the Stars’ past five games, there’s plenty you can take from it.

First and foremost, let’s talk injuries. Heading into Nashville, the Stars had been the healthiest team in the NHL. They had used just 20 skaters through the first 52 games and hadn’t needed to make a single AHL recall. Good health is paramount to a team’s success, especially come playoff time, and the Stars had been reaping the benefits of a consistent roster.

But then Nils Lundkvist left the game against the Predators with a concussion. Two days later, Jani Hakanpää left during an overtime loss to the Oilers with a lower body injury.

And with Miro Heiskanen missing Monday’s game in Boston for the birth of his first child, the Stars’ blue line depth was seriously tested for the first time. They recalled Derrick Pouliot and Alexander Petrovic, two NHL vets playing with Texas in the AHL, to help fill the void.

If that wasn’t enough, Duchene was also a late scratch with a lower body injury, leaving the Stars with only 11 healthy forwards going into a matchup against a fellow top-5 team in the Bruins.

And yet, the team performed admirably, outshooting Boston 46-30 and only trailing for 7:13 early in the game. Had it not been for a heroic effort by goalie Jeremy Swayman (especially past regulation), Dallas very well could have walked out with two points, but they settled for one after a nine-round shootout.

A quick turnaround to New York City on Tuesday night against a Rangers team on a seven-game win streak awaited them. With Heiskanen and Duchene back in the fold, the hope was that the Stars would be able to regain some normalcy. But once again, they ran into a red-hot goaltender as Igor Shesterkin turned aside 41 of 42 shots. Dallas couldn’t find the tying goal late and surrendered an empty-net goal for the 3-1 final.

Tough circumstances, no doubt, but such is life in the “no excuses” NHL. Two nights later, they flopped in a 4-1 loss to a young, fast and rebuilding Ottawa team. Maybe the strong efforts and underwhelming results got to their overall psyche. Perhaps the voids in the lineup finally caused the chemistry to lapse.

Whatever the cause, the Stars rolled into Raleigh on their longest winless skid (0-2-2) of the season. The starting lineup had delved into a revolving door, scoring was suddenly an issue for the NHL’s fourth-best offense and Dallas was staring down another matchup with a top-10 team while trying to salvage one win out of the trip.

And the hits kept coming. Tyler Seguin returned to Dallas before the game to have testing done on a lower body injury, once again leaving the Stars with a hole in the forward group. That led to yet another call-up, bringing 2021 second-round pick Logan Stankoven to Raleigh for his NHL debut.

The almost 21-year-old made a quick impact, posting 3 shots and a +1 rating in 15:20 of ice time. To top it off, the Stars grounded out a gritty 2-1 win to end the Hurricanes’ four-game win streak and keep their spot atop the Central Division.

The word gutsy was tossed around multiple times throughout the trip, and rightly so. After all, it’s been a roller coaster of a stretch. And sure, the 1-2-2 record may paint a picture of a struggle, but when you dig deeper, you realize just how well this Stars team has managed a few extraordinary challenges.

That stretch of .500 could have left a lasting blemish on a promising season. Instead, the Stars buckled down and finished the year on a 16-5-1 run.

This time around, they are 5-3-2 out of the break. Even while undermanned and missing some top players, they have found a way to compete consistently and even outplay opponents through a gauntlet schedule. It was a similar theme in December and January when they were without Jake Oettinger and Heiskanen for significant stretches.

And yet, the Stars stayed afloat. From rotating defensive pairings, to forward lines being tossed in the blender, to NHL debuts and battles with some of the top contenders in the League, Dallas has held its own.

That perseverance and commitment will be key over the final 23 games of the season and into the postseason. The teams that can adapt to hardships and unexpected bumps are usually the ones that make it to June and succeed.

And if the Stars finds a way to do that . . . maybe, just maybe, we’ll be spending even more hours reminiscing about this stretch.

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