Stars believe early adversity will make them stronger

Every team in the Central Division won Saturday.
Every one.
Well, except for the Stars -- they had the day off.
That's the kind of thing you notice when you're in the middle of a three-game losing streak. That's the kind of thing you notice when you're off to a 3-4-0 start. That's the kind of thing you notice when you're trying to make the playoffs for just the third time in 11 seasons.
And rest assured, this team noticed.

This most recent adversity will challenge the Stars during a three-day break in the schedule. It will force them to dig deeper and try even harder to become proficient at the system of new coach Jim Montgomery, because they believe there is no other option.
"The NHL is a humbling league," Montgomery said Saturday after a 3-1 loss to Minnesota, which was after a 3-0 loss to New Jersey, which was after a 4-2 loss to Ottawa.

"We are all humbled today," Montgomery said. "We were humbled in New Jersey, badly. And you have to bring it, or you will be humbled."
So the Stars will continue to push and continue to work and continue to try to learn. They host the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday followed by an Anaheim Ducks team they have already defeated once. That will conclude a nine-game start to the season in which Dallas played seven games at home. The Stars can, at best, finish that run at 5-4-0 right now, and that is a thought that can be both humbling and motivational.
"We're learning, but in the meantime, we have to be sure we're getting points and winning games when we can, especially with six games on the road coming up," center Jason Spezza said. "That's no small task. Let's be honest, these next two home games are big to set that up."
But Spezza, who has shown he can definitely deal with adversity, said the team has the ability to draw positive fire from a negative time.
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"Frustration can be seen in different ways," he said. "Frustration is a natural emotion in sports. I think sometimes, in trying not to be frustrated, you try to be too calm. I think I'm best when I'm playing with emotion and I'm engaged in the game. It's knowing when to push and knowing when to not push, and it's a little bit of a balancing act."
The Stars are trying to go from a conservative system in which they were extremely patient to one in which they are assertive and aggressive by reading the opposition. That's a tricky way to play, because the risk is supposed to be smart risk. Take a chance when you feel supported. Let one line feed the next line until you are coming at the opposition in waves.
"The disappointing part, for me, last night, was that we stopped playing," Montgomery said of Dallas dominating play and then sitting back once it obtained a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the third period. "To me, we were hopingto win a game instead of goingto win a game. And there's a big difference mentally in how you play when that's the case. … I'm a big believer that offense comes from really good defense, which is puck pressure, and we got away from that."

That has happened several times during the preseason and the first seven games. As Montgomery put it, the only thing consistent right now is the inconsistency. So, the team has to keep working on details and video and understanding how to play a 60-minute game. Yes, there are score and time concerns in every game -- the Stars shut down when they got up 3-0 against Anaheim, and the plan worked -- but they have to strive to find an identity and stick to it as much as possible.
"I'm a process-oriented coach. It works, and you've got to stay with it," Montgomery said. "We have to be consistent as coaches. We can't jump all over the place."
Spezza said the coaches have been persistent with their message, and that's helping.
"I love what he's done," Spezza said after a rigorous workout. "What's the first thing people say: 'He's a rookie coach, let's see what he's made of when the team loses a couple games in a row.' He hasn't diverted from what he wants us to do, and it's going to get us wins if we just do it better."
In fact, the slow start, and the competition from the division, and the pressure of a six-game road trip are things they talk about all of the time -- things that force you to dig deeper.
So the Stars have to do just that if they want this to be a memorable season.
"Facing adversity is a good thing, and you want to face it now," Montgomery said. "We're far off from where were going to be, and we need to work through it."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika,and listen to his podcast.