Dallas Stars Still Have To Watch Out For Pacific Division

The Dallas Stars took a hard loss and are back in the midst of Central Division foes. But the Stars must also be focusing on the Pacific Division teams as well.

Grey hairs. They’re a fact of life. As life grows closer to its untimely end rather than the beginning, the follicles on top of each person’s head begin to weaken and lose their vibrant color. They wither and grow grey and pale, and even hair dye cannot hide the ultimate cause: old age.

But some people like to believe that stress is another way to speed up the coloring process. And do you know where stress can be found? Sports.

It has been scientifically proven that stress does not cause grey hairs, and the Dallas Stars fan base is a perfect example of the fact. Dallas Stars fans have learned an excruciating lesson over the past decade or so. That lesson focuses on the fact of waiting on a process.

This process was based on trial-and-error and ultimately a short-term rebuild. While each of these took parts at different times, they were a struggle for Stars fans to endure. Season after season of starting strong or weak but ending with a common theme of missing the playoffs was no laughing matter. It sucked.

Then GM Jim Nill came in after the 2013 lockout season, and everything started looking up. The Stars broke out of a five year playoff drought and reclaimed a spot in the postseason in the first year with Nill at the helm.

But after that, it was back to the greying of many scalps. The Stars seemed destined for success last year, but instead were sentenced to another year of rebuild and spent the season fighting an uphill battle. They ended the year just seven points short of a playoff spot, and fans needed to regain their sanity.

This season only partially helped in that regard. At the beginning of the year, the Dallas Stars were on fire, lighting up the NHL scoreboards and taking the standings by storm. At the end of the 2015 calendar year, they were first place in the entire NHL. An awkward and unpleasant January left them trapped in the middle of the standings, but a relatively strong February and early March have them back near the top.

But the Dallas Stars are in more than one battle. They currently sit at the top of the Central Division, with the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks breathing down their necks. A win against the Hawks last Friday followed by a hard-fought overtime loss to the Blues the next day rewarded the Stars with first place honors.

They are still in the crosshairs, though. Things have not been easy, and they are only going to get harder the rest of this month. Last year, Stars fans focused simply on the playoff hunt and the possibility of getting a spot in the race. This year, the only thing that matters is the seeding and potential first round opponents.

And therein lies the problem. The Dallas Stars were granted a magnificent opportunity to create breathing room in the standings last night when they faced off with the Los Angeles Kings. Both the Blues and Hawks had lost the night before, so the Stars had a magnificent opportunity in their possession.

Instead, the Stars are now even more tangled up than before. After a 5-2 thumping delivered by Los Angeles in which Dallas looked lost and disillusioned, the Stars are now in a troubled scenario regarding the final standings.

The Dallas Stars need to worry about the Hawks and Blues chasing their tail for first in the Central Division. But they also now need to focus on the Pacific Division juggernauts chasing their hold on first place in the Western Conference.

As of now, the Kings are within two points of the Stars with two games in hand. Considering LA is surging, that is bad news bears. Not only that, but the Anaheim Ducks are six points back with three games in hand. So two teams in the Pacific have a claim to the Stars dominant grasp.

This comes into effect when deciding which division leader gets to play which wild card team. If the Stars continue to hold onto the first place title in the West and can dominate the rest of the schedule, they will be rewarded with playing the Minnesota Wild first round, though the Colorado Avalanche are still battling for the final spot.

More stars: Stars Discovering Drive In Least Likely Of Places

But if the Stars continue slipping and give LA or Anaheim an edge, they’re looking at a first round matchup with the Nashville Predators. Not to mention that the Preds are closer to the Chicago Blackhawks than people may notice at first glance. Do not count them out yet.

Overall, the standings in the West are a giant spitball of confusion. No one knows how this is going to pan out, but that is what makes it fun to tune in and watch every night.

Next: Niemi Slumping At Wrong Time, Needs To Jump Back

The Dallas Stars are in some serious peril right now, though. The chips are down and they need to pick up the pace. They cannot afford anymore slip ups, at least not this late in the season. Keep your eyes peeled, folks. There is sure to be some crazy finishes.