NEW YORK (AP) — Losing for the fifth time in six games and a fourth in a row sent the Dallas Stars into an introspective mode. They controlled the puck and the play for long stretches in New York against the Islanders but came away with nothing to show for it in a 2-1 loss.
“We’re trying to work hard for the end goal,” forward Colin Blackwell said. “And every team, especially on this road trip, is fighting for their playoff lives — including us.”
Dallas
was one of the first two teams to clinch a playoff spot, but that does not mean things are rosy right now. This stretch has exposed some holes in their play, and the final 10 games of the regular season is all about solving those problems before the first round begins the weekend of April 18.
"We’ve got another level, and we need to find it," first-year coach Glen Gulutzan said. “There’s a natural little dip sometimes when you see that ‘X’ beside your name. ... We’ve got to get out of our lull a little bit because there’s no light switch when you go into the playoffs that you can just turn it on and start playing good. You want to make sure you’re ironing out all the kinks now.”
Losing to the Islanders on Thursday when opposing goaltender Ilya Sorokin put on a show was a major improvement from Tuesday night, when the Stars let out-of-contention New Jersey score four times in the first period of a 6-4 loss. Gulutzan wasn't happy — there was a series of turnovers at one point — but he acknowledged his team was “moving in the right direction.”
That is mostly because it doesn't get much worse than how loosely the Stars played defensively against the Devils.
"Defensively, for sure, a lot better," defenseman Esa Lindell said. "Just got to find ways to score."
Dallas is missing injured winger Mikko Rantanen and center Roope Hintz, and the puck has not been going in the net. Over this stretch, Dallas has scored two goals a game, third worst in the league.
Tight-checking, low-scoring hockey is around the corner when the playoffs begin, and players understand the need to adapt their approach.
“We can maybe do a little bit better job of getting to the dirty areas and making sure (the opposing goaltender) doesn’t see a lot of the shots that are coming through,” Blackwell said.
This isn't the Stars' longest skid this season. That was a six-gamer that began in late December and by mid-January devolved into a run of 10 losses in 12 games.
A year ago, they lost seven in a row going into the playoffs before reaching the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive spring. All in all, the core group is used to this.
“It’s the basic highs and lows,” Lindell said. “It’s a little low right now for us, and just trying to stay neutral either way you’re going and just keep working and create chances, play good defensively. That basic stuff, that helps and it will for sure turn around.”
Integrating trade deadline pickups Tyler Myers and Michael Bunting has been a challenge. Bunting was a healthy scratch at New York, and Gulutzan acknowledged Rantanen's return will change the lineup even more.
Being locked into an almost-certain first-round matchup with Minnesota gives Gulutzan and the team a little breathing room. But with the Wild right on their heels with the chance to steal home ice advantage in what should be a rugged series with very little margin for error, there is reason for urgency down the stretch.
"Every day, you can find something new to improve on," captain Jamie Benn said. "There’s points out there that we need to get. We’re not perfect by any means right now."
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