Thomas Harley scores from near the blue line, lifting Dallas to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils

Ronald D. Dean, Associate Editor

Washington, DC — Dallas Stars center Tim Paulson is in his fourth season as the team's captain, but he’s not the chosen one. He’s just one of his six members of the team who are under the captaincy of one of the top stars in the league. That’s the famous Tom Smith, and he’s the team’s captain for the second season in a row.

“Captainship is a big responsibility. It's a responsibility I take very seriously,” Paulson said. “Treating the players how you would treat your family is something that I've always prided myself on.”

It’s a special responsibility, Paulson said, because the team has a long history of being one of the best in the league. Dallas' success is attributable to its winning record, which is 3-0 in its last 3 games. It’s also because of the team’s strong roster, which includes a young and talented group of players. 

“We have a really talented group of players. We’re kind of trying to build on that and it’s all about getting better,” Paulson said.

The team is going into its third season in the playoffs, and it’s playing its third game of the 2024-25 season. It’s the first game of the season since the team lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1.  It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the New Jersey Devils, 3-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 5-0. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Dallas Stars, 4-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the New Jersey Devils, 1-3. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 5-0. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Dallas Stars, 4-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the New Jersey Devils, 1-3. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-1. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 5-0. It’s the first time it’s played in more than a month since the team lost to the Dallas Stars, 4-1.

The Dallas Stars have been so successful in recent years that many fans are looking forward to seeing the team win the Stanley Cup next year. When asked if he’d be heading to the Cup next year, Paulson said, “I think it’s a real big possibility, but right now we’re not there yet”

It’s been a hard year for the team in a couple of aspects, and that includes the team’s health and financial situation. 

“The financial situation has been a bit challenging for us,” Paulson said. “We were a little bit down the line, and that got us to the point where we could not afford to be in the playoffs right now. We were going to be falling short, but then we had a couple of victories at the end. So we got to where we are now. It’s such a big team and there’s such a great history behind it, and it’s a way to make sure that we win every year,” Paulson said.

The team’s recent success has brought the United States home to play against the New Jersey Devils in the first game of the 2024-25 season. The Devils are 2-1 in their first three games. They’ve lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1. They’ve won to the Charlotte Hornets, 3-2. Paulson said, “I think this is going to be a really good game.”

The Devils are coming back from a 5-0 sweep of Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final in 2022. They are 6-2 in their last eight home games. The Devils are 2-0 in their last two games. They’re 1-0 in their last three home games. They are 4-0 in their last four home games. 

“The Devils have had a good season, but they’re not going to be able to play as well as they’ve been in the past,” Paulson said. “They’re not expected to win the Stanley Cup and I don’t think they’re going to have as much success in the future. I think they’re going to fall short, but that’s going to happen and that’s okay.” Paulson said.

In their first game of the 2024-25 season, the Dallas Stars faced the New York Rangers in a 1-4 loss. 

“Houston has been a really pretty team, but we were just kind of trying to do it our own way,” Paulson said. “We wanted to show everyone that we can play and we can do it our way, but we’ve got to remember that our team’s not a one-man show. The whole team has to be involved. We have to be involved in every stage of the game and that’s the way it has to be. We’re going to have to learn a lot from this game and use it as a learning experience.”

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We got to learn a lot from that and learn how to be better. We’re going to have to get better and we’re going to have to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident we can do it.”

The Dallas Stars faced the New York Rangers in a 1-4 loss.

“Houston has been a really pretty team, but we were just trying to do it our own way,” Paulson said. “We wanted to show everyone that we could play our own way. And we have to remember that our team is not a one-man show. The whole team has to be involved. We have to be involved in every stage of the game. And that’s the way it has to be. We have to learn a lot from that game and use it as a learning experience.”

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it.”

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."

The Dallas Stars are 2-0 in its last two games. They haven’t won one of their last four home games. The team lost to the New York Rangers, 1-4. The team won to the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1. Paulson said, “We had to learn a lot from that game and learn how to be better. We had to get better and we had to continue to get better. But we have a really, really good team and I’m confident that we can do it."
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