Dallas Stars: Final Thoughts On Thrilling Preseason
The preseason is officially over, meaning the regular season has all but arrived. But before we wait for its commencement, let’s recap all that happened in a crazy Dallas Stars 2016 preseason.
Vegas was good to the Dallas Stars. After stumbling out to a 3-3-0 record in the first six games of their preseason campaign, the Stars had a seventh and final matchup scheduled in Las Vegas against the Los Angeles Kings.
One game was all Dallas needed to show Sin City how hockey was meant to be done. The Stars thwacked the Kings by a final score of 6-3 and finished their preseason run on an extremely high note.
The game itself became the Stars’ fourth win of the preseason, ultimately giving them a slightly above .500 record to end their 2016 campaign.
As the preseason quickly disappears into the rearview mirror and the regular season now comes into the forefront, let’s take a quick look back on the last two weeks. There have been plenty of noteworthy moments of the preseason that need to be pointed out, and multiple questions that still need to be answered.
Here is a brief rundown of all that happened in the Dallas Stars’ 2016 preseason and what we need to look forward to in the season ahead.
1. The Stars defense is going to be better than expected
Going into training camp and the preseason, defense was the biggest question mark for Dallas.
By July 1st, the Stars had parted ways with three different UFA defenders that were regular starters during the 2015-16 season. Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Kris Russell all departed for new teams, leaving an already average Stars blue line in crisis mode.
After adding veteran Dan Hamhuis, people were still questioning whether the Stars blue line would be legitimate enough to keep up in the rough and tough Central Division.
After the seven preseason games, it looks as though Dallas may be way better off than initially expected. Over the seven game span, the Stars posted a 2.14 goals against average. And while they were only a preseason-level game, Dallas never had their full defensive unit playing at the same time.
Since early July, the assumption has been that the Dallas Stars will run with eight defenders this year. Dan Hamhuis, John Klingberg, Johnny Oduya, Stephen Johns, Jordie Benn, Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, and Esa Lindell are the eight projected players in this mix. This will give the Stars flexibility throughout the year and a variety of starting options.
So far, each of these players has proved themselves in a different way throughout their various appearances. Even Julius Honka, who is considered to be knocking on the door, is showing off his talent in a big way.
All in all, it looks as though the Dallas Stars young and new defensive group could very well hold their own and even succeed in the coming season.
2. Patrik Nemeth is ready to break out
Over the past three seasons, Stars defenseman Patrik Nemeth has been utilized as the seventh man on defense. He made his NHL debut towards the end of the 2013-14 season and played with Dallas throughout their first round playoff run that year.
The majority of his second season as a pro was spent on the bench after recovering from a severe cut to the arm from a skate early in the 2014-15 season. In the most recent season, Nemeth only played 38 games. This was largely due to the play of Stephen Johns and the trade for Kris Russell.
Over the past three years, the 24-year-old has not done anything to separate himself from the rest of the pack. To be honest, he’s only been given few chances. But after the heavy losses on the blue line this past offseason, Nemeth now has an opportunity to solidify his role as a starter and prove himself. This preseason, he has done just that.
In five games, the Swedish defender has three goals and one assist, as well as a +3 on-ice rating. He has done all of this in an average of 11:00 minutes of ice time per game. He also knows how to use his 6-3 frame to get physical in both zones. In this offseason, the Dallas defense has undergone a massive change, transferring from small, puck-moving defensemen to big, bruising defenders.
It seems like Dallas is finally giving Nemeth a legitimate chance, and he is taking the reins. After this performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him starting on a regular basis this season.
3. New Stars helping out early
The Dallas Stars made two key additions this offseason by signing forward Jiri Hudler and defenseman Dan Hamhuis. During the preseason, both players helped carry the Stars along in their respective areas of the game.
Hudler started in four of the seven preseason games, scoring one goal and tallying four assists for five total points. He also finished with a +1 in 11:33 average time on the ice. Overall, Hudler led the Stars in points for the preseason, even though he only played in four of the seven games.
Hamhuis, on the other hand, tallied one assist in 13:47 average ice time throughout three games. His veteran presence mixed with that of second-year Star Johnny Oduya will hopefully help the young Dallas d-core succeed.
4. The goaltending looks solid, at least so far…
Antti Niemi and Kari Lehotnen. Last season, the two formed something that had rarely been seen before: a veteran goalie tandem. During the regular season, the duo helped carry Dallas to the best record in the West. Each one picked up 25 wins and shared the load evenly as the season rolled on.
However once the playoffs rolled around, both goalies began to regress. Niemi could not string together two wins, and Lehtonen was able to carry his own load, but could not take up the slack. By the second round, both goalies combusted and the Dallas Stars were effectively eliminated in seven games.
Now that a new season is upon us, it seems as though the duo has one more chance to prove themselves before GM Jim Nill abandons the project and goes another way (enter Ben Bishop). Throughout the preseason, both goalies for the most part proved that they were prepared to go all out this year.
Lehtonen played in three games (148:10 TOI) and went 46/52 (.885 save percentage). He also posted a 2.42 goals against average. Niemi, on the other hand, stole the spotlight. In three games, Niemi posted a 2-0-0 record, going 80/85 (.941 save percentage) and posting a 1.83 GAA.
Overall, the Dallas Stars had a relatively successful preseason. With plenty of injuries and unexpected circumstances (*cough* Valeri Nichushkin *cough*) popping up, the Stars have adjusted on the fly and assembled a successful effort.
And now is the extended five-day waiting process before everything begins to matter. What was your favorite part of the Stars’ preseason run? Let us know in the comments.
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