Dallas Stars Gear Up For Action-Packed Round Two
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues will be facing off in the Western Conference semifinals. Get ready for some fireworks.
Last night, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues met in Missouri to settle a dispute that had spanned to a seventh and final game. The series as a whole had been one of the most exciting throughout all of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but one team needed to win, while the other unfortunately would have to go home and endure an early offseason.
Even though the game was the ultimate deciding factor, both teams continued to prove that they were not ready to end their seasons. The game was tied 2-2 going into the third period, with neither team giving an inch. With 11:29 left in the final frame, Troy Brouwer of St. Louis notched the game’s final goal, and that was all she wrote.
Before taking a look ahead, just stop here for a second and realize what just happened. The Chicago Blackhawks, a club that has been the last team standing in the NHL in three of the past six seasons, will not be playing hockey again until September. The juggernaut squad, even labeled a dynasty at times, is officially done.
And the Dallas Stars will get to play the team that knocked Chicago out. As my ten-year old self would say, “It’s on like Donkey Kong.”
But this Western Conference semifinals series has a lot of pre-checked baggage already attached. These two teams will have a lot more fire fueling them than in a regular series.
For one, and perhaps the most obvious point of all, these two teams are bitter Central Division rivals. While the Stars do not have as much beef with St. Louis as say Chicago, there is still plenty of hate to build off of.
The Stars and Blues matched up against each other five times this season. The Stars only escaped with one win, but took the Blues to extra hockey on three of the other four occasions. So, it’s pretty clear that these two teams play a tight game.
One of the biggest storylines to follow will be the fact that Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff and Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock will face off in a playoff series for the first time since the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals when Hitchcock was manning the Stars’ bench and Ruff was coaching the Buffalo Sabres. As long as the Dallas Stars continue to get the upper hand, all will be right with the world.
But these are the two best teams in the Western Conference, finishing just two points apart from each other. That means that if one win had flip-flopped from Dallas’ record to St. Louis, the Stars would not have won the Central Division or the West and would have faced off with the Blackhawks in the first round. Scary thoughts, especially now that we have seen the teams get a round out of their systems.
These teams proved that they could consistently put on a show in the regular season, and that should carry into playoff action as well. It’s promising to be a battle of the Central Division strong arms, so pay close attention. These are two teams with two very different styles of play, so do not be expecting any significant similarities. Both clubs will be coming at this series from different angles.
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Whatever ends up happening, just know that this series will be one for the books. There will be blood shed and goals scored, which is just what every typical hockey fan wants. But there will also be fierce competition, with both teams throwing everything they’ve got in hopes of coming out with a win. So hold on tight, Dallas Stars fans. The first round is over, and the next main event is on the way.