Dallas Stars Proving Their Playoff Readiness

The Dallas Stars are steamrolling through the final stretch of their schedule. With this success, they are proving their readiness for the long-awaited Stanley Cup Playoffs.

You can tell a lot by a man who plays without a helmet in the always dangerous sport of hockey. What kind of determination lies within him and how dedicated he is to his team and their cause are just two of these relevant factors.

That’s exactly what Antoine Roussel proved in the middle of the third period in an afternoon affair against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday. After being harassed and tampered with to the point where his brain bucket popped off, Roussel continued playing as if nothing had changed. He fought through the rest of his shift and eventually helped Patrick Eaves cram home the game-tying goal.

When looking closely, the entire game was a mess of figuratively helmet-less Stars, proving their worth and testing their tenacity constantly throughout the 60-minute frame. The Stars went on to win the game by a final score of 3-2.

But the clawing back, the helmet-less portion of the game came in the third period, and it proved plenty about this specific Dallas Stars club. It proved that they are willing to do anything, and that they can do just about anything if they put their minds to it.

That’s something that has not been seen in the recent past with regards to the Stars. In past years, they have always fought through their seasons, but always with restrictions. Whether it was staying away from physicality, playing a relaxed game defensively, or lacking in the goal, they have always been missing something.

This year, it’s a whole different setting. They are not holding back in any category, and they are being rewarded for it. The Stars are currently first place in the Central Division and Western Conference as a whole, holding a four-point lead on the second place St. Louis Blues.

The Dallas Stars have proved a lot over this past half month or so. Since March 17th, they hoist a dominant record of 7-1-0, with only one blemish against the Arizona Coyotes. They have outscored the opposition 30-15. That’s an average of 3.75 goals per game and 1.88 goals against per game. The goals scored average is a regular number for the Stars, but the goals against number is almost too good to be true.

Six of their seven victories in the past two weeks have come against playoff-bound teams. They have defeated each opponent in impressive fashion and have proved their legitimacy for not only a playoff berth, but also a chance at a Stanley Cup run.

The biggest thing that the Dallas Stars have proved these past few weeks is that the Stars are ready for the postseason and all the trials it brings. They have grouped together as a team and made it clear that, even when down a few prime soldiers, they are still a functioning and dangerous unit.

The NHL 2015-2016 regular season is winding down, with only three games remaining on the Stars schedule. The season ends exactly one week from today, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start up momentarily after. Dallas is in a position in which they will more than likely be playing the second wild card team, which will probably end up being the Minnesota Wild.

The Stars posted an impressive 4-1-0 record against the Wild this year, leaving them plenty to be confident about going into the first round. But it’s not just about the success they have had against a certain team. It is the success they have had against the majority of these teams.

More stars: Stars Fight Through Adversity, Defeat Kings 3-2

The Dallas Stars have proven to the NHL over the past week that they are holding nothing back at this point. They are firing on offense, they are efficient on defense, and they have finally figured out how to effectively use their goaltending duo.

The physicality has picked up over the past few games, considering a lot of these teams are fighting for positioning and trying to ready themselves for the stress of the postseason. The Stars, who are not known for their overbearing aggressiveness, have answered the bell repeatedly. It just further proves that each and every link that makes up the chain is prepared for the worst and ready to do whatever is necessary.

They will match any opponent on aggression, physicality, scoring, or energy. This kind of play just feels right, and the Stars are proving that they have plenty of it in vault. The best we can do at this point is continue to enjoy it and hope it carries into the postseason.

Next: Stars Need Big Showing From Their Goalies This Weekend

So what can you tell by a man that skates around with a hot temper and no brain bucket? You can assume any number of things about him, but there is one fact that glows brighter than the rest: he will not stop fighting and he is ready for any challenge that comes his way. That is something that is special and prevalent in this year’s Dallas Stars. They just won’t quit.