GLENDALE, Ariz. - Of all the statistical areas that needed improvement on the Stars, the penalty kill had to rank No. 1.
That's because it ranked dead last in 2016-17.
In fact, the Stars' penalty kill last season was historically bad. The 73.9 percent success rate was the worst in the NHL in the past 20 years. Twenty-ninth place Colorado was almost three percentage points better, that's how far in the cellar the Stars were.
So as Dallas headed into Thursday's contest against the Arizona Coyotes ranked fifth in the league at 87.0 percent through six games, you had to think they were pretty pleased.