Lucky 13: Stars continue to overcome obstacles and challenges throughout historic stretch

As a devoted follower of a sports team, it can feel difficult at times and downright impossible at others to stay levelheaded.

But that’s what makes it so fun, right?

When your favorite team drops five games in a row, intrusive thoughts of tearing it all down, firing the head coach and starting a long overdue rebuild can seem logical. On the flip side, a five-game winning streak can have you printing out city maps in hopes of deciphering the best spot to stand during a potential championship parade.

The wild swings of emotion can have you both floating on air and grasping at straws within a matter of minutes. And when it all combines together, it’s easy to forget that every season is a marathon, not a sprint. A 2-6-4 run can mean just as little as a 9-2-1 surge in the big picture.

At the end of the day, Billy Beane’s quote in Moneyball still reigns supreme: “If we don’t win the last game of the series, they’ll dismiss us.”

Still, it’s hard not to be romantic about the 2025-26 Dallas Stars, and now seems to be as good of a time as any to talk about it. At the risk of being overly cinematic, Alfred Pennyworth put it best in The Dark Knight Rises when he said, “Maybe it’s time we all stopped trying to outsmart the truth and let it have its day.”

Okay, back to hockey.

The truth is that the Stars are on one of the best runs in franchise history with a 13-game point streak (12-0-1). It’s been stretched out over a seven-week period (thanks in part to the Olympic break) and has garnered attention across the hockey world while also propelling Dallas back into second place in the NHL standings.

But it’s not so much the streak itself as it is how they managed to craft it that deserves some unpacking.

After all, it was born from a moment where the wheels could have easily fallen off the whole operation.

Following a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 22 that came on the heels of a dominant 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins two days prior, the Stars’ season was seemingly approaching a tipping point. After occupying the second-place seat in the league standings for the better part of two months, Dallas had slipped into sixth (and third in the Central Division) following a 3-7-4 skid that began just before Christmas. So as the Stars fell behind early in the second period against a stumbling St. Louis Blues team on Jan. 23, it was only natural for thoughts of dread and despair to take root. Were the struggles of January a sign of things to come? How much longer would the skid drag on?

Just 3:40, to be exact. That’s when Matt Duchene beat a goaltender for the first time in 11 games to pot his fifth goal in 27 games and even the score. And following a nifty offensive zone faceoff win by Roope Hintz late in the third, Jason Robertson sniped home his 30^th goal of the campaign with 60 seconds left to help the Stars to a narrow 4-3 win.

The rest is, as you already know, history.

That victory was the first of what became a franchise-best 10 consecutive wins. Following the 2023-24 Stars defying the organization’s longstanding watermark of seven with an eight-game streak, this year’s club finally found a way to get it into double digits.

It’s been nothing short of impressive, especially considering they did most of it without the help of Mikko Rantanen, Hintz and Radek Faksa. All three returned home from the Olympics with an ailment that kept them out of the lineup, leaving the Stars with a couple of large holes up front.

But they did so masterfully, rattling off four wins out of the break and coming close to beating the Colorado Avalanche in a 5-4 shootout loss. Dallas led for 49:06 of regulation before Valeri Nichushkin’s late 6-on-5 tally tied the game up to force overtime.

And while the opportunity for a frustrating, emotionally-charged loss to crumple the hot streak arose, the Stars didn’t flinch. They dished out consecutive one-goal wins against Chicago (in overtime) and Vegas to keep the point streak rolling at 13 straight games, tying the second-longest run in franchise history.

It’s been a full team effort from top to bottom, too. 17 different Stars have scored a goal during the point streak, while 20 have registered a point. No skater with more than six games played during the run has gone pointless. In the seven games since the break alone, 13 have a goal and 18 have a point.

Veterans like Duchene and Jamie Benn have found new life during the surge after dealing with long-term injuries earlier in the season. Duchene has eight goals and 19 points over the past 13 games after posting 11 points in his first 26 games. Benn, meanwhile, has five goals and 13 points in the last 11 games following a 12-game pointless skid. Three of his five goals stood up as the game-winner, including his deflection on the power play against Vegas on Tuesday.

On the flip side, Justin Hryckowian arguably had the best game of his young career on Friday against the heavyweight Avalanche. The rookie had a goal and an assist as well as three hits in 20:22 ice time and made his presence felt all night long. Such was the case for second-year Mavrik Bourque, who has five goals and 11 points in his last 11 games.

“I think the one thing we’ve done a good job of this year, and our group hopefully feels, is they all feel like they’ve got a little piece of this thing,” head coach Glen Gulutzan said. “That’s important. You’re not going to win it with one line or two lines, you have to win it with your depth. When all the good teams start playing each other when it’s down to 16, eight and then four, you’re going to need more than the superstars can saw off some nights. You’re going to need those other guys. Our group has a lot of guys that are bought in and feel that they’re counted on to make a difference.”

They’re living out that belief at the moment. On some nights, it’s Wyatt Johnston and Robertson pocketing big goals to push the Stars along. On others, it’s Colin Blackwell and Oskar Bäck combining for a big goal or Sam Steel posting a three-point night while also killing a big penalty late in the game.

It’s a pretty cool thing to witness.

“It seems like every night you’re talking about different guys chipping in,” Benn said. “That’s what is great about this hockey club. It’s different guys every night, and that’s what it takes. It takes a team to win in this league. It takes 60, sometimes 65 minutes, and I think the guys have done a great job.”

When the NHL hit the pause button for the Olympic break, Rantanen led the Stars in assists (49), points (69) and power play points (30). He had become a motor in the Stars’ overall scheme and was arguably their most important cog. That’s why the news out of the break of an injury that would sideline the star forward for multiple weeks carried a certain sting with it.

But it hasn’t fazed the Stars one bit so far. In 10 games without Rantanen in the lineup this season, Dallas is a stunning 8-1-1 and has outscored its opponents a combined 43-19. The power play, meanwhile, has gone a red-hot 12 for 34 (35.3%) over the span.

It’s all a part of the “next man up” and “one percent more” mantras that have helped guide the Stars to consistent success through a wildly condensed and unpredictable campaign.

“I told the guys we’re looking for soldiers this time of year,” Gulutzan said. “Every player has played well and we just need guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win hockey games.”

“I really think we’re taking some steps this year compared to last with getting better and giving that one extra percent,” Benn added. “It might sound funny to other people - what is one percent? - but we know what that is and we believe that when we give that, it gives us a great chance to win a hockey game.”

Through it all, the Stars have managed to become the second-fastest team to 90 points in franchise history, trailing only the 1998-99 Stanley Cup champion group. And while the road will only get tougher from here as they race towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs (where even tougher challenges will arise), there’s something to be said about this team’s historic hot streak.

Sometimes, letting the truth have its day is good for everyone’s inner fan.

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

Josh Clark is a writer for DallasStars.com. Follow him on X @Josh\_Clark02.