Dallas Stars’ general manager Jim Nill learned from last season’s late woes and this time opted to show urgency and make moves to improve his team. Well done, sort of. But as soon as the offensive threat Dallas obtained fell through, we saw the same old Jim Nill, thinking this team will be good enough to just slide right through to the playoffs.

Nill opted to not make a move before Monday’s trade deadline, bold choice, as it could cost him. The Stars’ GM is under the biggest of microscopes now over this next month and it might just break him. If Tuesday night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights is any indicator of what’s to come for the remainder of the season, everyone is in for a rough ride.

The Stars were outshot for shots on goal in the third period 1-21. Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin can only make so many saves when the offense gives them nothing in return. It sucks morale out of the team when one phase of the game regularly lets down the other.

Dallas seems to play half a game, whether it’s a good start and a poor finish or a bad start and a good finish. The Stars aren’t and haven’t been playing complete games for a while, due in large part to a lack of offensive production. Relying on defense and goaltending will only get you so far.

Three years ago, Dallas was good offensively and struggled a lot on the back-end, quite opposite of what it is now.

It seems as if Dallas has spent so much time focusing on fixing the defense through the past couple of years that they have let the offense slip through the cracks. Now, they are working to patch up the offense, even though last season’s slide should have been enough of an indicator to get working on it. Dallas shouldn’t have to repeat problems to highlight what’s wrong and then go about doing something about it.

Granted, Nill deserves credit for going out and not sitting still this time to make moves to improve the team. But the problem lies within the Stars not having a plan B, other than riding its forward group that has shown in the past two years to go about its business in the same way.

Another problem lies within Nill not addressing this issue sooner. Its a case of too little, too late and that’s why I don’t want to give Nill too much love for the moves over the weekend.

Nill should have addressed the offense in the right manner after he saw what happened with the slide last season. This issue should have been fixed a while ago, we should not just now be seeing him scramble around for offensive help.

Nill has created a one-line team that’s depth didn’t look too bad on paper at first, but when that fell through, for two years now, he’s sat idly by, for what might be another playoff slide, thinking this team is good enough as is.

Unless the Stars can kick it into high gear and start playing complete games, they’re likely to watch another trip to the playoffs pass them by. That happening is unlikely, as usually teams step up in this stretch but Dallas, on the other hand, gets cold feet and kicks themselves down.

It starts with Dallas not getting down on themselves too quickly. That and the Stars need to play with more confidence and more urgency. When this happens, teams play with more of a swagger and thus get on hot streaks.

I can’t tell you when the last time I saw Dallas play with a swagger and have fun was.

It doesn’t start with Dallas strictly creating more offensive chances. Rather chances flowing more naturally while playing a complete game in all three zones; it builds confidence to play with an urgency like every game the season is on the line. Which the closer we get the more it’s true.

The Stars aren’t doing these things and aren’t possessing the puck well, thus the struggles. Dallas isn’t down and out yet, but they must fix these issues to still compete in a West that is slowly closing in.

Dallas dropped to the second Wild Card spot after their loss Tuesday night and are only ahead of the Colorado Avalanche by one point. The Stars need to string together some wins quickly if they don’t want a repeat of last season, that is getting passed by nearly every team in the Central Division.

Going 3-6-1 in their past 10, that is tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the third worst last 10 record in the Western Conference. When the only other teams whose last 10 record is slightly worse is the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks, you should be cringing much like I am right now.

The team is yet again trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time, if Nill can’t find a way to correct the ship, it will be his fourth time missing the playoffs in his six years with the Stars.

And let’s be honest, only making the playoffs twice in six years might sting enough to oust him from his seat. If this season doesn’t pan out in somewhat of a playoff run, Nill will not get another shot at redemption.