This Dallas Stars Team Could Make Noise In Playoffs… If They Qualify
The Dallas Stars have put on an absolute clinic over the past few games, ripping through teams left and right.
With their newfound success, the Dallas Stars have put together a 7-2-0 record over their last nine contests, and are on a 7-3-0 run through the month of March. This run has seen many different improvements within their team.
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Since the beginning of March, the Stars team has improved on multiple different stances, but more specifically in the last lines of defense. The defense has shown a major change of heart through March, especially over the last few games. Since the beginning of March, the Dallas Stars are averaging 2.90 goals per game, right around their average for the year at 3.11. The defense has cut down their goals against average severely. Throughout the season, the Dallas Stars average 3.19 goals given up per game. But since the start of March, those numbers have been cut to just 2.30 goals per game.
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Kari Lehtonen may have salvaged his season after all. With the bipolarity he has faced this year, it is still not a safe bet on whether he has turned the ship, but he definitely deserves credit for his work in the crease over the past few games. Over the past six games, he is 5-1-0 in as the starter, including a save percentage of .927 and a goals against average of 1.50. It is difficult to guess whether he will be able to keep his play up, but the one thing that is sure is that he is headed in the right direction.
In the past week, the Dallas Stars have cut down the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, two teams bound for playoffs with threatening depth in their lineups. Not only did they beat them, they allowed just one goal in 120 minutes with a defense that lacks it’s arguably best player, Trevor Daley. They trusted their shaky goaltender who ended up snagging 64 saves on 65 shots. They worked together and brought down the best of the best without the slightest hesitation.
That being said, it seems that the Dallas Stars could run with anyone at this point with the way they’re playing. Whoever they may face off with in the Stanley Cup Playoffs may have a bit of trouble trying to bring them down, let alone slow them down.
But there’s one small problem: the Dallas Stars currently have a 1.4% chance at breaking the playoff barrier and qualifying for the postseason. Only a total of 20 points remain out in the open for the Stars to grab, and they currently sit eight points out of the final wild card spot. Those eight points may never be made up, leaving the Stars on the outside looking in until the start of the 2015-2016 season. The Stars have a healthy winning streak going, but unfortunately the other teams they are in competition with do as well and do not look to be pulling their foot off the gas anytime soon.
“At this point, we just have to win. Then win the next game and the one after that. We just have to win. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.” -Alex Goligoski
The fact that Stars fans must face is that the Stars are still not in control of their own destiny. Not even with 10 games to go. The fact is, they may never get that chance. They can still worry about their own games and picking up wins, but they will need others to start falling at some point. If it does not happen soon, this season may as well be over.
It’s going to be another week in the trenches. The only thing we can do is hope we’re smiling when we come out on the other side.
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