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Now 24 games into the season, what was expected to be the best Dallas Stars team since 2007-08 has been an enormous disappointment. With a 9-10-5 record, Dallas is sharing the Central Division’s basement with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Stars’ struggles ultimately boil down to the fact that they are terrible at keeping the puck of their own net. Dallas ranks dead last in the NHL in goals against per game, owning an even worse per-game figure (3.46) than the well-documented defensive disaster that is the Edmonton Oilers. It’s not much of a shocker, either; Dallas has one of the worst groups of defensemen in the league. Things get extremely thin after Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley, who aren’t exactly first-pairing material themselves.
Kari Lehtonen has looked off all year long, letting in soft goals that he never would have conceded in past years. The defense in front of him is bad, but part of the Stars’ woes fall on Lehtonen’s shoulders. He’s a supposedly elite goaltender putting up replacement-level numbers and he’s done nothing to mask the team’s problems.
Dallas has shown no signs of recovering from its season-long malaise. The defense isn’t going to suddenly become passable overnight, and Lehtonen just doesn’t look confident or comfortable in net. Many expected this Stars team to be one of the best in the Western Conference, but they’ve been much closer to being a doormat. A failed season doesn’t deserve any grade other than an F.
Sean Sarcu is a Chicago Blackhawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
