The Dallas Stars have dropped eight of their last ten games with their penalty kill serving as the league's worst during that span.
The Dallas Stars are mired in one of their worst losing skids in recent memory, leaving fans searching for answers about where the breakdowns are occurring.
While the Stars’ defensive play has taken the brunt of the criticism after allowing 35 goals over their last 10 games, the underlying issue has not been their five-on-five structure. Instead, the penalty kill has steadily eroded and has become a major factor dragging the team down during this stretch.
Special teams are often treated as secondary to even-strength play, but Dallas’ recent struggles highlight how costly those minutes can be. Over the last ten games, the Stars have taken 36 penalties and allowed opponents to score on 12 of those power plays. That translates to a league-worst penalty kill rate of 63.6 percent during the skid. Dallas also has a 4:38 average shorthanded minutes per game, which amounts to more than two penalties per night.
The heavy workload has taken a toll on key defenders, with some seeing their on-ice numbers drop sharply. Top-pairing defenseman Miro Heiskanen has been on the ice for 20 goals against during the stretch, split evenly between even-strength and penalty kill situations.
His partner, Esa Lindell, has been on the ice for 13 goals against, including nine while shorthanded. Thomas Harley, who has already missed time with injury this season, has been on the ice for 14 goals against, with 12 coming at even strength.
The issue is compounded by the sheer volume of minutes these players are logging. Over the ten-game skid, Heiskanen is averaging the third-most ice time in the NHL at just under 27 minutes per game.
Make Sure You Bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site For The Latest News, Exclusive Interviews, Breakdowns, And So Much More.
Lindell and Harley are each averaging more than 23 minutes, an especially notable increase for Harley. The burden placed on these pairings has been significant as the coaching staff leans on them heavily to keep games close.
Improving discipline and fixing the penalty kill must become priorities for head coach Glen Gulutzan and his staff. Identifying the root causes will be critical, whether that means adjusting personnel, refining systems, or exploring roster additions that can stabilize the unit and ease the workload on the top defensemen.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.