TEAM EDITORIAL

The Dallas Stars have opened the 2026–27 regular season with two narrow defeats, leaving them 0–2 ahead of Monday’s home meeting with the San Jose Sharks. Dallas began with a 4–0 loss to the St. Louis Blues, ending a run of six consecutive season-opening victories, then followed with a more competitive 2–1 defeat to the Nashville Predators. Miro Heiskanen supplied the only goal in Nashville, while Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots, but the Stars could not overcome two first-period power-play goals by the Predators.

The early results have exposed familiar priorities for a team regarded as a Stanley Cup contender: creating more offense, improving special-teams execution, and converting strong stretches into goals. The defensive foundation remains encouraging; Dallas allowed only two goals in Nashville after surrendering four in the opener, and the club ranked among the league’s best defensively last season. Jason Robertson remains a central offensive driver after leading the team with 96 points in 2025–26, while Miro Heiskanen has already provided an important contribution from the blue line.

The start has also been complicated by Matt Duchene’s lower-body injury and placement on long-term injured reserve, requiring him to miss at least 10 games and 24 calendar days. With no time to dwell on the opening losses, Dallas returns home October 5 seeking its first win against San Jose.