New Stars Head Coach reveals the key to beat the Edmonton Oilers
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Just weeks into his return to the Dallas Stars organization, the new head coach has already diagnosed the fatal flaw that's kept the team from getting past the Edmonton Oilers in back-to-back playoff exits.
Glen Gulutzan didn't waste time pointing out the problem.
And the issue? It wasn't talent.
It was preparation.
After replacing Peter DeBoer earlier this offseason, Gulutzan explained in a recent interview that the Stars simply failed to adjust offensively when things stopped working. While the system succeeded during the regular season, it became predictable when the pressure mounted.
Gulutzan says Edmonton beat Dallas by adapting faster and smarter offensively
Gulutzan, who helped coach the Oilers during their playoff dominance over Dallas, offered rare insight in a conversation with The Hockey News.
«What we did in Edmonton was adapt and create offense against different defenses. If we had a road trip to L.A. and then Vegas, we knew we wanted to do things differently in the O-zone.»
That flexibility, he says, was missing in Dallas. Under DeBoer, the Stars stuck to their structure, even when opponents shut them down.
According to Gulutzan, that lack of tactical change made the team easier to contain when the games really mattered.
Now, he's aiming to bring a more responsive system that lets players adjust mid-series or even mid-game.
I think his insight from the other side of the ice gives him a real edge heading into this season.
Gulutzan inherits one of the deepest rosters in the league, but unless he can unlock a new level of adaptability, the playoff roadblocks could remain.
For Stars fans still haunted by recent postseason exits, this change in mindset might be exactly what they needed.
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