Dallas Stars Welcome Capitals For Battle Of Juggernauts
The main event that NHL fans all over have been waiting for has finally arrived. The Dallas Stars welcome the NHL-best Washington Capitals to the AAC tonight in a duel for the ages.
Sports are one of very few luxuries that are open and accessible to all people. Sometimes people forget how influential sports are in their everyday lives and take them for granted.
The NHL is one of the few sporting leagues with a massive following that continues to grow with each passing day. With the blossoming of the league comes fluctuations amongst the teams as the years pass on. The NHL is so unpredictable that a team finishing in the bottom five of the league (Arizona and Florida) within the past two years can all of a sudden be holding playoff spots this season down the home stretch.
Two of those teams that have experienced rather bleak recent pasts are the Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals. But, with the fluctuation comes brighter times for both clubs.
As the morning sun rises over the city of Dallas this Saturday morning, it graces the city with a different light. The Dallas Stars have returned home after a perfect road trip for a mini one-game slate at the AAC. Though it’s only a quick visit back home, the game could not be any bigger. Tonight, the Stars will take on the Washington Capitals.
For those of you who don’t know, the Dallas Stars are currently the third best team in the NHL, and the second best in the Western Conference. They put on a clinic Thursday night behind a Patrick Eaves first period hat trick and buried the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. The win put them one point behind the Hawks for fist place in the West with three games in hand.
Stars fans have seen some rather unpredictable play from their team since the beginning of the 2016 year. After finishing off 2015 with a 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators that solidified their hold on first place in the NHL, Dallas endured a horrific 3-6-2 record in the month of January.This record was enough to not only push the Stars out of the NHL’s top spot, but also enough to make room for the Caps to overtake the position.
The NHL is now staring down the home stretch towards the NHL postseason, and a few things have become prevalent. First off, the Stars and Capitals will both be moving on to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. At this point, it would take a miracle and a half to cut them out of the picture. Considering both teams are in separate conferences, there is a chance that these two could meet in the Stanley Cup Finals as well (knock on wood).
But that is still a long way away. So how are we supposed to witness these two teams battle it out in order that we may draw conclusions on which one is truly the supreme club? We can gather all our information from tonight.
Tonight will be the second and final meeting between the Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals, and it just might be the biggest game of the year for both teams.
The two squads have only met once so far this year, with the Stars winning a 3-2 nail biter back in November at the Verizon Center. The Caps had yet to bust open their winning streak and the Stars were riding high at the time, so things have definitely changed since then.
Going by the numbers, it’s clear why the Caps are the best team in the league. They are the only team without double digits in the loss column this season and are the only team past 80 points. They own the highest goals per game average at 3.30, while the Stars sit in second with a 3.24. Their goals against average is second best at 2.26 thanks to the heroics of Braden Holtby. Dallas is a mediocre 2.67.
In terms of special teams, the Capitals own the best power play at 24.2 percent. Dallas sits fifth at 22.1 percent. On the penalty kill, Washington owns the fifth best with 83.9 percent. The Stars sit at a disheartening 80.0 percent.
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But what the league boils down to is goals for, goals against, and overall record. Each of these two teams boasts a relatively decent standing in most of these categories. Which makes tonight an even more enticing matchup.
The NHL as a whole will have a stern eye on this matchup, and if we’ve learned anything over the past week, it’s that anything can happen. How else would the Dallas Stars have allowed the Blackhawks to embarrass them 5-1 in Dallas last Saturday night and then follow it up with a 4-2 pummeling on Thursday at the United Center? The NHL is a crazy league. All we can do is just hope to see it all unfold.
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Tonight, the Stars and Capitals will engage in battle for quite possibly the final time this season. But for possibly the first time ever, they may see each other past the regular season. There is a chance, and all we can do is respect that at this point. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from the American Airlines Center in the heart of Dallas.