Dallas Stars Power Countdown: 40 Days: Top Game of 13-14
By Josh Clark
It’s Saturday! We’ve hit the weekend and we have almost surpassed the 40’s! Just 40 days until the Dallas Stars open their season up against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 9th at the American Airlines Center.
I have made a bracket, one like you would see for the NBA or NHL playoffs, of the 16 best games of the Dallas Stars 2013-2014 regular season. I’m sure you will agree entirely with the 16 games I have chosen, and if not, then just play along and comment at the end with which one you feel should have been given a chance and won.
So, I will put a poll up for each of the next 15 days featuring one of the games, with a brief argument for why it should be considered. Then, you can go to the bottom and vote on which one you think deserves to move on to the next round. The poll will expire 24 hours after it is put up, just in time for the next bracket of games to be put up. The Sweet 16 has already ended and the final eight teams have moved on. At the end of the Elite 8, I will announce the winners of the entire round and start up the Final 4, and so on and so forth. Sound fun? If so, great! If not, oh well.
Yesterday, the third of four matchups went live, being the Dallas Stars @ Boston Bruins game on November 5th facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins @ Dallas Stars game on January 25th.
THE FINAL MATCHUP OF THE ELITE EIGHT AND TODAY’S GAME IS: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars on April 8th VS. St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars on April 11th
Nashville @ Dallas, 3-2 F (SO):
With the eighth and final playoff seed dwindling between the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes in early April, this game meant a lot to the Dallas Stars. Facing off against the Nashville Predators, who had just been eliminated from the hunt for the eighth seed just days before, they came in trying to spoil the Stars hopes and take them on the golfing trip as well. With Alex Goligoski opening scoring within the first 150 seconds of the game, the two teams brawled back and forth, trading goals back and forth. With Nashville producing two VERY good scoring chances in the last five minutes only to have both stoned by Kari Lehtonen, overtime came and went and the game progressed to a shootout. With the first two shooters for both teams going empty-handed, Roman Josi barreled in on Lehtonen and partially found his five hole, with the puck finding the other part and passing just enough of the red line for a goal. Vernon Fiddler, with the game in his hands, created the now famous “trip” move and still found a way to score. With Matt Cullen getting nothing on the other end, Tyler Seguin came in and sniped one, finishing the game and getting the Stars the win. The Stars got a thrilling victory and two points that ultimately pushed them to the postseason.
St. Louis @ Dallas, 3-0 F:
With playoff hopes on the line, the Stars answered the call and clinched their first postseason berth in six years. With a stacked St. Louis Blues squad visiting the AAC, the Stars managed to fend them off with an impressive 3-0 win. From Kari Lehtonen’s shutout, to Trevor Daley’s breakaway beauty, to Lindy Ruff’s smiling face and Jamie Benn’s post-game speech, it was one of the most memorable games of the Stars entire season.
So, you vote now! Be on the lookout tomorrow for the next edition of this playoffs series! You have until 2:30 PM CST on Sunday, August 31 to cast your vote and help the game you thought was better to move on! VOTE BELOW.
Comments and questions below, and as always thanks for reading! Go Stars.
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