There have been a lot of words dedicated to explaining why the Dallas Stars are struggling. Goaltending, a young and inexperienced blueline, really bad execution on the PK, et cetera.
Except some of the reasons have been marginal. Though hardly perfect, goaltending has actually been decent in recent games. Especially at even strength, where Kari Lehtnonen in particular has shined. Though hardly perfect, the young and inexperienced blueline has been steady. Julius Honka and Stephen Johns are two of the three best defensemen at keeping unblocked shots against down, while Esa Lindell has been one of Dallas’ better penalty killers.