Dallas Stars Current Standing In Playoff Race
By Josh Clark
Now that the NHL is off and running towards the finish line of the 2016 season, the Dallas Stars are currently in a brawl. Here is a look at their updated playoff standings and chances.
Two weekends ago, the NHL took an extended break from competitive play in order to give the teams a chance to rest. It was also an opportunity to give some of the NHL’s biggest stars a chance to travel to Nashville and enjoy a weekend competing in the NHL All-Star Game.
The weekend centered itself around the dramatic story of John Scott, a veteran defenseman that most people believed should have never received an invite. Scott was traded in the middle of January after already receiving his invite and a whole story and struggle developed from there. But the game went on as planned, and it turned out to be one of the greatest All-Star weekends of all time.
But that is all over, and the NHL is back in full swing. There will be no more league-wide breaks this year until the regular season calendar officially ends and the playoffs kick off.
Speaking of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars are still fighting their way onto the ticket. The Stars currently sit in the midst of the upper class in the Central Division, and a playoff spot seems highly likely. But anything can still happen.
Here is an updated look at the Dallas Stars playoff picture:
Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks 56 GP 76 PTS
2. Dallas Stars 53 GP 71 PTS
3. St. Louis Blues 55 GP 68 PTS
4. Nashville Predators 53 GP 58 PTS
5. Colorado Avalanche 55 GP 58 PTS
6. Minnesota Wild 52 GP 55 PTS
7. Winnipeg Jets 52 GP 49 PTS
As it has been in all years past since the realignment, the Central Division is currently contributing to five of the eight playoff spots, the most any division can give. It looks as though it will remain like this as well, so let’s go ahead and say that the top five make the postseason.
By that standard alone, the Dallas Stars would need to finish the year on an unbelievably horrific note if they want to be outside the bubble for the second straight year. The Stars are currently 13 points away from being fifth in the division and 16 from being out of a playoff spot. That’s seven and eight games away. There’s only 29 games left in the year. Overall, the odds are exponentially slim that Dallas doesn’t get in.
But once they get in, there is no telling what happens. Home ice advantage matters greatly in the NHL, possibly the greatest out of all sports. If the Stars want to play games one and two at the American Airlines Center, they will need to finish in the top two.
More stars: Can The Stars Compete For A Stanley Cup This Season?
Saturday night, the Dallas Stars did something they have rarely done this year: lose in a pathetic fashion. The Stars crumpled at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-1 and bascially lost one of the games in hand that they had previously owned on Chicago.
The Stars are five points back of the Hawks at the moment in the Central Division and Western Conference race. What the Stars have going for them is the three games in hand. So in theory, if both the Stars and Hawks won every single game for the remainder of the season, the Stars would finish with the Central crown. Another banner would not look too shabby in the rafters, either.
Next: Stars Most Recent Crumpling Reiterates That Anything Can Happen
As of right now though, the Dallas Stars are sitting pretty. Anything could change at any moment, and the Stars simply have to prepare for the worst if they want to succeed. Otherwise, they could find themselves at the bottom of the pack, sucking for air, in no time. That is still quite a ways away though.