Dallas Stars Learning Some Games Are More Important Than Others

Heading into the Wednesday night games, the Dallas Stars find themselves six points back of a playoff spot with five games left on the their schedule. Unfortunately, those five games are not against teams that will help them make up ground in the playoff race. Ultimately, the Stars inability to win the games against the teams ahead of them will likely cost them a spot in the postseason. The losses have piled up against the two teams that currently hold wild card positions in the West.

Minnesota Wild

The Dallas Stars finished an abysmal 1-3-1 against the Minnesota Wild this season. The Stars are currently 11 points back of the Wild, who are the hottest team in hockey and have a shot at third in the Central Division. Their season turned around when they acquired Devan Dubynk on January 14th. The Stars can’t put the blame on the Wild turning it on however, as only one of those four losses came after they traded for Dubynk. The Stars held a late lead in the overtime loss, so there is a two point swing right there. They had a third period lead in the most recent loss, there is another four point swing. They also had a second period lead and went into the third tied in yet another gruesome defeat. If those three losses (that came while the Stars had a lead in the game) were wins, they are just a point back of the Minnesota Wild right now.

Winnipeg Jets

Most people, including myself, thought the Jets were destined to be in the basement of the Central this season. Their goaltending has proven everyone wrong so far, as they currently hold the final playoff spot in the West and are six points ahead of the Dallas Stars. The Stars finished 1-3-0 against the Jets this season, once again adding to their playoff misery. One loss that many of us remember was a 2-1 defeat in Dallas. The Stars had 97 shot attempts to the Jets 37 in the game. I know what you are thinking, shot attempts don’t mean scoring chances. Well, they also had 52 scoring chances to the Jets 15. That is Ondrej Pavelec stealing a game for Winnipeg. In the most recent loss, the totals are less drastic but still should point to a Stars victory. They out chanced the Jets 34-26 and lost the game 4-2. The potential is there for an eight point swing, which would currently have the Stars two points up on the Jets.

The Theme

There has been an incredibly frustrating theme for the Stars this season and you can see part of it in their games against the Jets and the Wild. Their inability to hold leads and pick up wins when they outplay and out-chance their opponents. The optimist in me sees this Dallas Stars team headed for an extremely bright future. They are a top-10 possession team with a group of young defensemen and are the highest scoring team in the Western Conference. Kari Lehtonen just picked a bad time to have his worst season as a Star and the revolving door of backups hasn’t worked out in the slightest. Their losses while outplaying their opponents has been especially costly against the Wild and the Jets.

The most recent loss against the Calgary Flames was a back-breaker, as the Flames will also be going down to the wire in the Western Conference Playoff race. The Stars have owned the Eastern Conference and a majority of the Pacific Division. Unfortunately they have come up short in the games that ultimately mattered the most and it likely means that Dallas will be getting an early summer vacation.

Minnesota Wild

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Winnipeg Jets

The Theme