Dallas GM Jim Nill: Stars brass 'were scared to death' after tough preseason
The Dallas Stars struggled mightily in the preseason, going 1-6-0 with a bevy of issues all over the ice. But the fates took a 180-degree turn the second the season started, and the Stars' 5-1-0 regular season record has them in a three-way tie for the Central Division lead.
That strong start has Dallas GM Jim Nill breathing much easier.
"ll be honest with you, we were scared to death [watching the preseason]," Nill told TSN. "It’s tough to judge. We played a lot of young kids. [Jamie] Benn and Ales Hemsky only played one or two games a piece. You’ve got to be careful with exhibition games. You’ve got to respect them - and we weren’t. But that doesn’t always mean something."
The Stars were heavily concerned ahead of the season about playing better on defense than they did last year. That did not happen in the preseason, but it did change during the regular season as the Stars have allowed the fifth fewest goals against since the start of the season with 14 goals against in six games.
On the other end of the ice, the Stars are the third highest scoring team in the league with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn continuing to lead the way on offense. The combination of better defense and strong offense has the Stars in a comfortable position in the first month of the season. Now they just have to keep it up.
(h/t TSN)
