Even though they only won once in their final three-game series, the real story of how the 2021 Texas Stars season concluded is about the future, not the past.
Coming into this trio of contests, on the road against the Iowa Wild, there was no uncertainty about how this year was going to end: no playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no divisional title within reach, no particular bragging rights about what ultimately was a middling win-loss record.
Rather, the desired outcome of these games was the hope of brighter things to come down the road — and with this, the team delivered.