Stars’ Cup Hopes Rest on Balancing Defense and Offense | NHL News

NHL News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 11, 2026 · 2m

Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen is confident his team can win the Stanley Cup, but he’s blunt about their playoff undoing: a lack of even-strength offense and sloppy defensive gaps. He wants more “dirty goals” — the gritty, clutch scores that seal tight games. Coach Glen Gulutzan echoes this, admitting the team struggled to score five-on-five all season and ranked near the bottom in league offense. Analysts agree: they created chances but couldn’t convert, and too much space between forwards and defense let opponents control tempo. While Gulutzan’s defensive overhaul made the Stars elite on that…