Stars' new coach reveals the exact reason why Dallas lost to the Oilers last season
Photo credit: St Albert Gazette
The Dallas Stars enter this season with a new voice behind the bench, and Glen Gulutzan is making it clear what went wrong when Edmonton knocked them out.
Earlier this week, Gulutzan, who replaced Pete DeBoer after three straight trips to the Western Conference Final, explained why the Stars' game plan kept coming up short.
DeBoer's system looked polished through most of the season, but when opponents like the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights shut down Dallas's top scorers, the team seemed stuck.
Once teams figured out how to slow the rush or clog the power play, Dallas rarely adjusted. They tried the same entries and puck movements over and over, even when the season was on the line.
Gulutzan said in an interview with Mike Heika that his approach will focus on breaking that cycle.
Glen Gulutzan explains how Dallas must change to beat top teams
Gulutzan told Heika,
«Really, what I would like to do, and what we did in Edmonton, was we were able to adapt and create offense against different defenses. I wouldn't say we completely changed, but if we had a road trip to L.A. and then Vegas, we knew we wanted to do things differently in the O-zone.»
For many fans, that adaptability is exactly what was missing. I believe that flexibility is the one thing Dallas has needed for years.
Having a coach who was on the staff of the very team that eliminated them in back-to-back postseasons might finally change that.
Even with tighter cap constraints than DeBoer had, Gulutzan plans to get more out of younger players like Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist, whose small cap hits could help balance the roster.
Dallas still expects to contend, but how Gulutzan adjusts his system will define their season.
You can read more from his interview on The Hockey News.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 30 | 71 ANSWERS Stars' new coach reveals the exact reason why Dallas lost to the Oilers last season Do you think Glen Gulutzan's system changes will help the Dallas Stars beat the Oilers this year? | ||
| Yes | 42 | 59.2 % |
| No | 29 | 40.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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