In warfare, there’s a term known as a flanking maneuver, or just “flanking.” In it’s purest form, a flanking maneuver involves an attack from the sides, often to surprise an enemy or to expose a weakness in its setup. The theory of flanking is that military forces often strengthen the front, leaving the sides vulnerable to attack.
The Dallas Stars have been flanked over the past couple of seasons, not by a specific team or specific strategy, but by their road schedule. Since having a top-five road record in the NHL in 2015-16 (22-12-7), Dallas has fallen into the bottom third of the NHL away from American Airlines Center.