Stars Searching for Answers as Grueling Road Trip Ends in Utah
The Dallas Stars are limping into the final stop of a demanding road trip, and the stakes feel bigger than just two points in the standings. After a red-hot close to 2025, Dallas has hit a wall to open the new year, and tonight’s matchup against a resurgent Utah squad could either steady the ship-or send it further adrift.
Let’s rewind a bit. Not long ago, the Stars were one of the NHL’s most consistent teams, second only to the buzzsaw that is Colorado.
But since the calendar flipped to 2026, things have gone sideways. Dallas is 2-4-4 over its last 10 games, a stretch that’s included some frustrating losses and a growing sense of inconsistency.
Their most recent outing-a 3-1 loss to Anaheim-was the kind of game that leaves a mark. The Ducks, who hadn’t won in 10 straight, played like a team with something to prove.
They outworked Dallas in nearly every zone, especially in the physical battles, and the Stars couldn’t match their energy. Aside from a late push in the third period, Dallas looked flat, which is especially concerning given they were wrapping up a back-to-back in Southern California.
Fatigue is a factor, sure, but so is preparation-and the Stars didn’t look ready.
Now, they head into the altitude of Utah for the final chapter of this six-game road swing. A win would salvage the trip, giving them three wins and an overtime loss in the mix-not ideal, but manageable.
A loss, though, would extend a skid that’s already starting to feel like more than just a rough patch. It would also send them home with more questions than answers, and not much time to find solutions before a crucial stretch on home ice.
The Stars are at a crossroads. It’s only January-nobody’s expecting them to be peaking just yet-but this is the time of year when good teams start to define themselves.
With the Olympic break looming and the playoff race tightening, Dallas needs to rediscover its identity. The pieces are there, but the cohesion, the consistency, the edge-they’ve been missing.
Meanwhile, Utah is trending in the opposite direction. After stumbling through parts of December, the Mammoth have started to look like the team that opened the season with a bang.
They’ve picked up points in six of seven games to start 2026, including a dominant 6-1 win over Toronto that showcased just how dangerous they can be when firing on all cylinders. Dylan Guenther led the charge in that one, netting two goals-including his 23rd of the season-to continue his breakout campaign.
Utah now sits three games above .500 and holds the first wild card spot in the West. With the Central Division’s top three pulling away and the Pacific Division’s upper tier also creating separation, the Mammoth are likely in for a dogfight the rest of the way. Every point matters, and they’re playing like a team that knows it.
For Dallas, this isn’t just another regular-season game-it’s a gut check. They’re up against a confident, physical Utah team that’s found its rhythm. The Stars need to match that energy, bring the kind of urgency they’ve been lacking, and start laying the groundwork for a second-half surge.
Because right now, the margin for error is shrinking. And if they want to be taken seriously in the Central, it’s time to start playing like it.