Dallas Stars Way Too Early Playoff Scenarios
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars look like definite playoff qualifiers this season, especially after their crazy win last night. With that speculation comes the need for some much too early playoff predictions and scenarios.
It was a playoff game.
Those were the exact words that Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff told to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News after last night’s victory. He was correct in that statement as well.
Last night, the Stars traveled to Bridgestone Arena to kick off the first leg of a back-to-back Central Division slate. They faced off with the Nashville Predators, who they easily handled back on New Year’s Eve in a 5-1 smacking.
The results were not exactly synonymous, but it was still a win for Dallas. The Stars and Predators were locked at 2-2 at the end of regulation, and an overtime goal from Mattias Janmark officially finished the 3-2 game off.
Two points are very special for the Dallas Stars at this point in the season. They are currently in a dogfight with the Chicago Blackhawks for the first place spot in the Central Division, and things are tight. After last night’s wins by both the Stars and Hawks, both teams have 37 wins and 79 points. Dallas does hold the upper hand though, as they have played three less games.
It’s definitely an interesting time in the NHL as a whole. Different teams are moving in and out of playoff spots, set on doing nothing more than snagging two points and seeing where it put them in the standings. The Stars don’t necessarily have to worry about that predicament, though their specific spot is not guaranteed either.
By this point in the year, though, it is pretty clear that the Dallas Stars will eventually punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. It would take a monumental collapse at this point to move the Stars out of playoff contention.
Only 25 total games remain in the Stars regular season campaign, and things are starting to get dicey. But how will the home stretch of the season pan out, and where will it put the Stars once the playoffs come around?
As stated earlier, the Stars have just about clenched a playoff spot at this point. But which spot that is has yet to be determined.
So far in the month of February, the Dallas Stars have strung together a masterful 6-1-0 performance. This comes on the heels of a tragic 3-6-2 showing in January, and the Stars seem to have finally extinguished the potential flames.
If the Stars can continue this aggressive and dominant style of play that they have used for victories against opponents like Chicago, Washington, and Nashville, their chances at first place in the division are high.
Right now, I would give the Stars a 55 percent chance at winning the division. Their play in March last year proved to be the best month out of their entire 2014-2015 season, and the chances of a repeat look favorable. The Hawks had a long winning streak spawn in January, but it has since died out and Chicago has experienced a bit of downshifting.
If the Dallas Stars claim first place in the Central, it would more than likely mean that they would also be first place in the Western Conference. If it happens, it looks as though there are four potential opponents that they could face in the first round: the Nashville Predators, the Colorado Avalanche, the Arizona Coyotes, and the Minnesota Wild.
That’s a rather extensive list, and it will certainly thin out to an extent over the next two months. There might be some competition between two teams, or it may be a clearcut picture as the final games finish up in the season.
More stars: Stars Find A Way, Come Back To Beat Predators In OT
But taking a look at these potential opponents, it seems as though the Stars are in good standing. Amongst the four teams, the Stars are a combined 7-3-0. The Avalanche are the only team that Dallas is not .500 or better against on the list, and they have yet to face the Coyotes this year (their first meeting is on Thursday night).
If the Stars were put up against any of these teams, it looks as though they would have a decent chance at claiming the series and moving on to the second round for the first time since 2008.
But, of course, anything can happen in this league. Plus, the Stars aren’t even guaranteed the first spot. If they take the second place spot, they would be matched up with the St. Louis Blues in the first round. After three games between the two clubs this season (Stars are 1-1-1 vs. Blues), it is clear that the series would be an intense battle until the bitter end.
Next: Stars Have Shifted From 'Team To Beat' To Team To Beat
Today is February 16th, 2016. That means that there are still 55 days left of the 2015-2016 NHL season. So playoff predictions mean very little at this point. But it’s always fun to try and view the future, right?