After stumbling out of the gate to begin the season, the Dallas Stars are finally starting to look like the team many expected them to be.

Saturday’s 4-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks gave Dallas its second consecutive win, with Jake Oettinger recording his third shutout in six starts and Arttu Hyry scoring twice. More importantly, it was the kind of complete performance that had been missing during the Stars’ uneven opening stretch.

In his latest Heika’s Take, Mike Heika examines how Dallas controlled the game and why the Stars’ improved defensive commitment could be a sign of better things to come.

Glen Gulutzan summed up the performance rather nicely:

“It’s nice when you have a methodical game. We were patient even when it was 0-0, we got a big save on a breakaway early by Jake, and we stayed with our game and got rewarded”

The Stars outshot Chicago 32-19, generated twice as many scoring chances, and looked considerably more organized in all three zones. Jason Robertson opened the scoring on the power play, Hyry added two goals, and Roope Hintz provided some additional insurance.

Hyry has been one of the more encouraging developments. The 25-year-old Finnish forward has scored three goals over his last two games, but his contributions extend beyond the scoresheet.

Gulutzan has noticed the improvement, particularly in Hyry’s confidence.

“You can tell he looks very comfortable in practice, almost dominant. That’s kind of the first step and as that confidence grows, you can see the benefits.”

And the benefits are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Hyry has provided valuable minutes, contributed defensively, and suddenly developed a scoring touch that the Stars could certainly use from their supporting cast.

Oettinger, meanwhile, has been nothing but dominant between the pipes, off to the best start of his career.

With six consecutive home games approaching, Dallas has an opportunity to build on its recent success. The Stars have demonstrated what they’re capable of when everything comes together.

You can read the rest of Mike Heika’s analysis here.

Stars Stuff

Early Vezina Trophy favorite in my book!

Given what we’ve seen so far, this may be one of many Arrtu Hyry cowboy hat poses this season.

Congrats, Gully! Now go get the next 200 (with the Stars of course :D)

Around The Central

The Minnesota Wild were the only Central Division team in action Sunday night, edging out the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1.

Kirill Kaprizov continued his outstanding start to the season, scoring the game-winning power-play goal as Minnesota edged Columbus.

Kaprizov’s goal was his 10th of the season, making him the fastest player in Minnesota franchise history to reach double digits. The Wild improved to 6-2-1 and continued their strong early-season play.

Tonight

Colorado Avalanche at Philadelphia Flyers — 6:00 PM CT

Colorado visits Philadelphia looking to continue its strong offensive play while the Flyers still search for consistency.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Utah Mammoth — 8:00 PM CT

Utah returns home looking to rebound from Saturday’s 6-2 loss to Edmonton.

The World of Chel

We all love a good hockey fight! Unbiased opinion I still think the Hintz/MacKinnon exchange was better 🙂

Big win for the Calgary Flames last night who defeated the defending champions late in the third period.

Down in Cedar Park

The Texas Stars wrapped up their four-game road trip Sunday afternoon with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Manitoba Moose, earning a point but coming up short of the victory.

Dylan Hryckowian got Texas off to a flying start, scoring just 18 seconds into the game. Tristan Bertucci and Emil Hemming also found the back of the net.

Brandon Halverson finished with 25 saves as Texas dropped its second consecutive game against the Moose.

The Stars will now return to Cedar Park for a two-game series against the Ontario Reign on Friday and Saturday.

The Texas Stars earned a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Manitoba Moose to finish a four-game road trip Sunday at Canada Life Centre.https://t.co/cRkWyUt56p

— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) October 18, 2026

Finally

Poor Bish, lol