Dallas Stars Hockey is Back With an Interesting Schedule
Hockey season is around the corner with 82 games next on the slate. September brings preseason hockey in preparation for a hopeful upcoming season for the Dallas Stars. The upcoming schedule for the Stars has less strength than last season. The Stars are one of the top teams in the Western Conference so their strength of schedule is lower. There are positives and negatives to the schedule compared to last season. They are not going on the road for as long but more frequently. Lots of room service orders are coming up with a little more travel miles. 82 games are on the way over the next several months.
Strength of Schedule
The Stars are one of the top teams in the league. They are in the top 10 odds to win the Stanley Cup next season. Only the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche have an easier schedule. Some of the easiest teams to play include the Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, and San Jose Sharks. These three teams will play the Stars a lot this season.
“Easier” Schedule
Road trips are a part of every season. There are 41 games at home and 41 on the road. Long road trips can fatigue teams if they are on the road for more than a week at a time. Last season the Stars went on a 6-game road trip. This season they will only have to worry about a 4-game road trip being the longest. There are 3 separate stints of 5 consecutive home games.
“Harder” Schedule.
The Stars are always at a disadvantage because they are the most secluded NHL team from others. More air travel means longer time away from home. 8 different home games are sandwiched in between 2 road games. Some of these travel destinations include (Vancouver > Dallas > Columbus), (Calgary > Dallas > Tampa Bay), and (Dallas > Chicago > Dallas > Philadelphia). The Stars will zig zag across the continent throughout the year putting lots of travel miles on the itinerary.
No game is easy. Any team can win a game against anyone. The Stars may have one of the easiest schedules but that may change once the season starts. Hockey is finally back this month after too long of an absence.
