Dallas Stars Embracing Blunt Side Of NHL Playoff Race
By Josh Clark
Just 11 days remain in the 2015-2016 NHL regular season. The games are getting more heated with each passing day, and the Dallas Stars are making sure to join in on the fun.
Last night, a phenomenon across the NHL occurred for the first time in 46 years that just did not seem possible. The Philadelphia Flyers knocked off the Washington Capitals in a shootout and officially eliminated the Ottawa Senators from the 2016 NHL playoff race.
The Senators were the final Canadian team mathematically in the playoff race, but now cannot make the postseason by any means. This means that for the first time since 1970, not one single Canadian team will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s a good thing the Dallas Stars are not from Canada. The Stars are currently experiencing the finishing touches of a magical 82-game run that has them slated to make the NHL playoffs and potentially produce a run.
But they are not there just yet. While their seat at the postseason table is definitely reserved, they have to battle through a handful of games before they can focus on one single opponent.
So far, these games have not been cakewalks. As the season draws closer to an end, the games seem to be gaining a new level of intensity and passion. With intensity and passion comes physicality and desperateness.
The majority of the teams that are playing this way are the ones on the playoff bubble or fighting between a divisional and wild card spot. The Stars are in neither of those situations, but that has not kept them from responding to these emotions with some of their own.
The Dallas Stars have met hit with hit and punch with punch so far. In the past two games alone, the Stars have been met with some harsh adversity against two playoff teams fighting for positioning. On Saturday afternoon, the Stars had an afternoon date with the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center.
Things got heated early, and not just because the Stars and Sharks are old time Pacific Division rivals. A couple of hits led to some fights and those fights led to constant aggression for the remainder of the game. A total of 15 penalties were called in the game, totaling 36 penalty minutes among both squads.
The Stars eventually won the game 4-2, but did not rely solely on their offense and defense. They had to rely on their grit and response to adversity, and they did that rather well. Antoine Roussel had a big role in the game, going after multiple Sharks and playing pesky. Stephen Johns, John Klingberg, and Alex Goligoski were caught getting in on the shoving as well.
The schedule shifted to Tuesday night when the Dallas Stars welcomed the Nashville Predators to town. The two teams are slowly but effectively building their reputation as Central Division rivals with each passing game. Tuesday night may have filled the rivalry to its breaking point.
The Stars and Predators clashed heads and took to early physicality that later brewed into irresistible violence. The Stars jumped out to a 3-1 lead that turned into 3-2 just before the end of the second period. In the first few moments of the third period, Patrick Eaves, a man known for his luxurious beard and non-physical attributes, dropped the gloves and laid a pounding on Colton Sissons.
The fight between the two was just one major outbreak mixed in with a bunch of other disagreements. The Predators and Stars ended the game by racking up 11 penalties and 28 minutes in the box.
The passion of the game is what can be blamed for these heated competitions. The thing is, they will only get hotter as the postseason gets closer and even into the playoffs.
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But the thing that is nice to see is that the Dallas Stars are handling it well and still matching up with the opponent. A primary reason may be that the Stars faced this exact same dire scenario last season as they fought and clawed throughout March for a wild card spot before falling just short. Not to mention they were in a similar situation back in 2013-2014 down the stretch.
Either way, it is exciting to watch and impressive to see how the team refuses to back down from any challenger. Tonight should not be as physical of a matchup, considering the Arizona Coyotes would need more than a miracle to get to the wild card.
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But never count the possibility out. This is one of the few teams the Stars have yet to beat this season, so anything is possible. The fight for first place in the Central Division rages on, and a win tonight could prove critical. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. to Fox Sports Southwest to catch all the action.