Dallas Stars’ Postseason Predicted By Blackout Dallas
The Dallas Stars could truly do something amazing this postseason.
Stars’ Biggest Strength:
Goal scoring, goal scoring, goal scoring. The Dallas Stars lead the league in Goals Per Game with 3.2, and the offensive depth on this team is tremendous. From the first line to the last, the green and white score the puck a lot, and they’ll have that to their advantage throughout their playoff run.
Stars’ Biggest Weakness:
The main weakness of the Stars is their defensive consistency. At times, the Dallas Stars defensive core has been exceptional, the problem is doing it night in and night out. The victory green are 19th overall defensively in the league, but have done better as of late. Whether or not they can do that consistency, however, will determine how far the Stars go.
Stars’ Best Player:
Jason Spezza. He’s hot right now and he has playoff experience. In fact, I think Spezza scores four goals in this opening series against the Wild.
Stars’ Worst Player:
Colton Sceviour, and I say that only because he is very inconsistent in my eyes. Sceviour can shine for a while, and then can look very confused the next day. You never know what you will really get out of him.
How The Goaltender Situation Rolls Out:
I think they should switch off. I know a lot of people don’t like the two-goalie format in the playoffs, but the Stars have used it all year, and I don’t see a reason to change it.
The Stars will advance past the first round if…
They play their hockey. Don’t adjust to how Minnesota plays, make Minnesota adjust to how the Dallas Stars play. The Stars are the one seed for a reason, they just need to play their way on the ice, and let the other teams adjust.
The Stars will fall in the first round if…
They don’t score often. Simple as that. The Stars are the best scoring team in hockey and that’s how they win games. Dallas just needs to score, score, score, just as they have all year. If the Stars lose their offensive momentum, they could be going home early.
Series prediction:
I think the Dallas Stars win in five games. Overall, I just think the Stars are too much for the Wild. I think the green and white will only need five games to move on to face the winner of Chicago/St. Louis.
Playoff prediction:
The Dallas Stars are capable of winning the Stanley Cup, and I think that’s very, very possible. I think in the end, the Stars will get to the finals, but lose. However, I think the Stars are absolutely able to win the whole entire thing, and bring the Cup back to Dallas.
What defines a successful run for the Stars this year?
Honestly, I think winning the Stanley Cup is successful, but nothing else. The Stars are at the point to where they want to win the whole thing, and they’ve set their standards of nothing short. Championship or bust.
Playoff predictions:
Stars over Wild in 5, Blackhawks over Blues in 7, Predators over Ducks in 6, Kings over Sharks in 6, Capitals over Flyers in 5, Rangers over Penguins in 7, Panthers over Islanders in 6, Red Wings over Lightning in 5
Stars over Hawks in 6, Kings over Predators in 5, Capitals over Rangers in 6, Red Wings over Panthers in 7
Stars over Kings in 7, Capitals over Red Wings in 5
Stanley Cup Finals prediction:
I think the Dallas Stars meet the Washington Capitals in the finals. I think Washington has a fairly easy run to the Stanley Cup, and I think the Stars will be there to meet them. Overall, I think the Capitals will take Lord Stanley back to our nation’s capital, winning in six games.
Next: Allison Scott: A On Midterm, Finals Coming Up
After a stellar regular season, the Dallas Stars are in for big things in the postseason.
What the Stars biggest strength is going into playoffs
The Dallas Stars proved their offensive abilities during the regular season, just as predicted. They were the highest scoring team in the league by 17 goals and that was a big contributing factor to their success. I anticipate their ability to score to follow them into the postseason as well and, thus, be their greatest strength.
What the Stars biggest weakness is going into playoffs
Previously the biggest concern for the Stars would’ve been their defense, but this year they’ve managed to find a way to incorporate the forwards into the defensive play and it’s improved. They still, however, struggle with playing consistently. Dallas likes to play against the powerhouses of the NHL, the Blackhawks, Capitals, etc., but they don’t show up as much for teams that sit significantly below them in the standings.
That’s how they went (0-2-0) in the regular season against the Toronto Maple Leafs who finished a staggering 27 points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for last place in the Eastern Conference. While the Wild are certainly a superior team to the Leafs, it’s concerning that the Stars might go into the series thinking they’re deserving of the upper hand.
Who will be the Stars’ best player in the playoffs
While the obvious answer would be Jamie Benn, who is coming in off of the best season of his career, I think Jason Spezza will be the best player in Victory Green this postseason. He’s been there before and he’s hungry for his first Stanley Cup. Spezza has also been on a tear since the middle of the season and has been Dallas’ most consistent scorer.
He’s not getting any younger and the ex-Ottawa Senators’ captain is on the hunt for a championship win before he retires.
Who will be the Stars’ worst player in the playoffs
Purely because of his tendency to play a brand of hockey that’s borderline legal, I’ll have to say Antoine Roussel will be the worst. Penalties in the playoffs can be game-changers and thus series-changers and I find that his reputation around the league could deter all of the good things no. 21 does for Dallas.
Which goaltender should start the games? Or should they switch off? What is the goaltending scenario they should use?
This is up in the air, especially with a coach as unpredictable as Lindy Ruff. I think they’ll end up doing what they did in the regular season, going back and forth between Lehtonen and Niemi, because it worked so well. The two combined for 50 wins and over 100 points, so I don’t see why Dallas wouldn’t keep up the same trend.
The Stars move past the first round if…
They play their game. Simple as it can be, they have to not be cocky about winning the Central Division and having won the Western Conference in the regular season. There are bigger things ahead and the Stars mustn’t focus on what happened last week when what happens this week could determine if they’re playing hockey or golf come May and June.
The Stars lose in the first round if…
Their best players aren’t the best. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, John Klingberg and the goaltenders have to be on their game for Dallas. In the event that they aren’t, it’ll be significantly easier for the Stars to fall to the Wild.
Dallas was battling with the St. Louis Blues until the last game of the season for the division title and St. Louis won it last year. The Blues know all too well how dangerous the Wild are in the first round, regardless of positioning from the regular season.
How will the first round pan out for Dallas?
I think Dallas will come out of the first round in six games. The Wild are a good team. They play a successful game and they fought their way into the second wildcard spot to even play in mid-April, meaning they’re going to want to prove why they’re competing.
Dallas, however, has had more than a month to prepare for the postseason and they’re harboring disappointment from not making it just a year ago. The Stars know how special of a group they have and they are aware that not every team is as talented as they are right now. For that reason, they’ll take the Wild down in six games because they’ll drop two due to playoff inexperience and nerves.
How far will the Stars go in the playoffs this year?
The Stars will make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to put it all together, especially with the additions over the last few seasons. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are in their respective primes,
Dallas’ defense has stepped up and goaltending is a non-issue most nights. They have the physicality, the speed and the scoring to get it done and although my prediction is biased with hope, I see it being a very really possibility that the team in Victory Green plays for the Cup.
What would define a successful playoff run for this current Stars team?
A successful playoff run for the Stars would be a Stanley Cup Championship. Dallas expects to play a high standard of hockey and I think Jamie Benn perpetuates that attitude throughout the locker room. They won’t be happy unless they have a few more banners to add to the American Airlines Center come puck drop this fall.
Playoff predictions:
Stars over Wild in 6, Blues over Blackhawks in 7, Ducks over Predators in 5, Kings over Sharks in 4, Capitals over Flyers in 5, Penguins over Rangers in 6, Panthers over Islanders in 4, Red Wings over Lightning in 7
Stars over Blues in 7, Kings over Ducks in 6, Penguins over Capitals in 7, Red Wings over Panthers in 6
Stars over Kings in 6, Penguins over Red Wings in 5
Who will be in the Stanley Cup Finals? Who ends up taking the trophy?
I think the Dallas Stars will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the finals. The turn around that the Penguins saw and the return of Sidney Crosby being Sidney Crosby make them a team that’s got momentum in their favor.
They always have good match-ups against the Washington Capitals and I think if they can beat out the Caps, they can win the East. Obviously my hope would be the Stars would come out on top, but I think the Penguins would make it a tough series for Dallas.
Ultimately if it were the Penguins versus the Stars, I’d imagine Dallas’ superior scoring would find a way to win it.
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The Dallas Stars are playoff bound, and could be in it for the long haul.
What the Stars biggest strength is going into playoffs
Without a doubt, the Dallas Stars’ biggest advantage is depth. That’s obviously a great asset offensively, but it’s a major plus overall as well. Considering how easily teams can become fatigued in playoff situations and the pressure that can put on the typical “star players” to perform, the Stars have a huge leg up knowing that they can depend on the entire team, as a team.
What the Stars biggest weakness is going into playoffs
I could give you two words here- “mental game”- and I think you would all know what I meant. But for clarity’s sake, here’s why: the Stars underperform against teams that perform under them and over-perform against teams that perform above them.
The Wild have, in the past, typically been one of those teams that the Stars do the exact opposite of rise to the challenge against. However, the Stars were able to deal differently with them specifically a majority of this season. The Stars will just need to remain mentally fresh and not overthink the process.
Who will be the Stars best player in the playoffs?
This is a tough one. While it’s not that much of an earth-shaking answer, I’m tempted to say Jamie Benn. He worked incredibly hard to try and push the Stars into playoffs last year, and had a difficult road returning this season from his summer hip surgeries. So I think it’s pretty likely that the captain will take full advantage of the opportunity presented to the Stars and throw all his weight into not letting it go to waste.
To add some concrete proof to that, Benn finished this season as the Stars’ top scorer, and continues to prove that he can produce with a wide variety of linemates, and not just his compadre, Seguin.
Who will be the Stars worst player in the playoffs?
This one may get a little touchy. I love him just as much as the next guy (perhaps more, depending on who the next guy is), but John Klingberg has been in a funk that seemed to creep up on his toward the tail end of this season.
Whether it’s burnout or something else, the circumstances of playoffs could push him one of two directions: either the pressure will worsen his play, or he will rise to the challenge. While I sincerely hope it’s the latter, I think the addition of strong, physically-minded defensemen has perhaps thrown off Klinger’s offensively-minded game just a touch.
Which goaltender should start the games? Or should they switch off? What goaltending scenario should they should use?
Gut reaction: start Kari Lehtonen and keep starting him until he gives Ruff a reason not to. Last season Kari’s been left in the dust, and this season Kari has more than earned playoff play. Niemi fell off a bit toward the end of the season, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to employ a method that the Stars seemed to be already using at the end of the season: start Kari and switch for Niemi if he gets tired.
The Stars move past the first round if…
The Stars will level up IF they can keep their heads in the game. Any low point they’ve experienced throughout the season, injury-induced ones aside, has been brought about by loss of mental strength.
In January, the Stars were exhausted, and it showed in scatterbrained play. If the Stars maintain thoughtfulness, patience, and farsightedness, they’ll mop the floor –err, the ice- with Minnesota, no problem.
The Stars lose in the first round if…
If goaltending and defense get stagefright. Despite great performances this season, we’ve seen how quickly it all can fall apart if the Stars lose confidence and neglect the intimidation factor in their own zone. Now that the Stars have some big bodies that aren’t afraid to levy hits on their blue line, this is less of a concern. But on a bigger stage like the playoff stage, there’s a chance that old demons could come back out to play.
How will the Stars fare in the first round series?
Provided the Stars keep their wits about them, they will win against the Wild and have steam left to spare. The Stars went 4-1 in their season series against the Wild, so I think it would be fair to allow them maybe five games to seal the deal.
How far will the Stars go in the playoffs this year?
Realism or optimism? Dreams or reality? Well, I want to say they’re going to go to the final round and take it all. But I also know that sometimes, good things happen in smaller increments. The Stars really turned it around from last season and showed that they can play with the big boys at the very top of the league tables.
Will that be enough to take them all the way through playoffs? The team is good, no question, and they have advantages that could certainly take them far. But for caution, I want to say the Stars will make it through a second or perhaps third round. So depending on how cheery or realistic your outlook is today, take your pick.
What would define a successful playoff run for this current Stars team?
If we divorce this Stars team from the one they were last season, it seems like success could only be fully attained with the Cup hoisted in their hands. The Stars were hell-bent on bringing playoff hockey back to Dallas for the fans, so in some ways, they’ve already succeeded in meeting that goal.
But this season’s team has shown that they’re hungrier than that. Any stop short of winning in the final round would feel like a failure for this team, considering how hard they’ve worked to go from rags to riches.
Playoff prediction:
Stars over Wild in 6, Blues over Blackhawks in 7, Ducks over Predators in 7, Kings over Sharks in 6, Capitals over Flyers in 6, Penguins over Rangers in 5, Panthers over Islanders in 7, Lightning over Red Wings in 7
Stars over Blues in 7, Ducks over Kings in 6, Capitals over Penguins in 5, Lightning over Panthers in 6
Stars over Ducks in 7, Capitals over Lightning in 6
Who will be in the Stanley Cup Finals? Who ends up taking the trophy?
Have you decided whether you want to be a realist or optimist yet? I haven’t really, either. So, on one hand, I want to lean toward the Dallas Stars and the Washington Capitals. With the Caps’ run this year, it’s hard to imagine them not making it deep into playoffs, unless they burn out.
And, even from an objective standpoint, it’s hard to imagine the Stars not making it that far, what with their dominating performance against their own conference this season. And if it’s the Stars and Caps, well, history says the Stars will have it. But I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see?
Next: Josh Clark: The Stars Have A Chance To Shine Bright
The Dallas Stars fought all season long. Now they have to prove they are ready for the Cup.
What is the Stars’ biggest strength going into the playoffs?
This seems to be the popular opinion, but only because it is the right opinion: the Dallas Stars know how to score. They have proven it all season long, and the statistics speak for themselves. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin lead the way, but they have a more than capable group behind them. When the Stars find a way to consistently put the puck in the back of the net, they are almost impossible to stop.
What is the Stars’ biggest weakness going into the playoffs?
The lack of consistency both in the crease and on the blue line. The Stars have a problem with subbing out different players on defense and replacing them on a game-by-game basis. They will need consistency in their lineup in order to produce the most effective results. Their goaltending also needs a set pattern instead of simply riding one hot streak out until it dies.
Who will be the Stars’ best player going into the playoffs?
You have to go with Jamie Benn on this one. The Dallas Stars captain continues to push his own limits, and is doing it all on repaired hips. His performance in his first playoff appearance in 2014 was astounding (4-1-5 in six games), and I fully expect him to lead this team both on and off the ice. It is his job after all.
Who will be the Stars’ worst player going into the playoffs?
“Worst” is such a dirty word. I’m going to go ahead and pick Valeri Nichushkin as the Star that will “struggle” the most. The 21-year old forward has struggled at different points in the 2015-2016 season, and is clearly frustrated. It seems as though it will take a lot for him to break out of his funk. Maybe the playoffs is just what he needs to start producing again.
What should the goaltending situation look like?
You may not agree with this option, but I think the Dallas Stars should go with a two on – two off setup. Give Kari Lehtonen the home games, while Antti Niemi takes the away games, and continue on from there. If either goalie starts to slip, then you can look into possibly changing the system on the fly.
The Stars move past the first round if…
They play their game. The Stars’ have had wonderful success over the past few weeks in scoring goals, playing tight defense, and solidifying the goal crease even with some key absences. If they can keep that up, they should have no trouble in working the Wild out early.
The Stars fall in the first round if…
They get too bigheaded. The Dallas Stars are now in a position that they have not been in for a very long time: first place in the conference. If they take that to heart and rest in that fact alone, it could cause their play to slip a little bit. On paper, they clearly oust the Wild in every area. But if they take that as a means to slack off, Minnesota could force them into submission.
How will the Stars fare in the first round series?
I like the Dallas Stars defeating the Minnesota Wild in five games. Minnesota may be a decent team in some regards, but Dallas has handled them throughout the year, and the Stars look like an even stronger team now than before.
How far will the Stars advance in the playoffs?
As everyone before me has said, the Dallas Stars have the potential to move on and even win the Stanley Cup. I don’t see any team in the Eastern Conference matching up and giving the Stars a run for their money. If they can survive the playoff-weathered Blackhawks, Blues, and Ducks, I think they could do some big things.
What would define a successful playoff run for this current Stars team?
Considering they were seven points out of a playoff spot last year and now they are the best team in the conference, I think the Stars need to make a sizable run. Being eliminated in the Conference Finals seems like the bare minimum to make this season a memorable one to remember and think highly of.
Playoff prediction:
Stars over Wild in 5, Blackhawks over Blues in 7, Ducks over Predators in 6, Kings over Sharks in 5, Capitals over Flyers in 7, Penguins over Rangers in 6, Panthers over Islanders in 6, Lightning over Red Wings in 6
Stars over Blackhawks in 6, Ducks over Kings in 5, Capitals over Penguins in 7, Lightning over Panthers in 5
Stars over Ducks in 7, Capitals over Lightning in 6
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Who will be in the Stanley Cup Finals? Who takes the trophy?
The Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals seem like two popular and logical picks for the Stanley Cup Finals. I won’t go as far to predict which team takes the trophy home with them, but just look at the regular season meetings between these two teams.
So that’s how we feel. What do you think? Do the Dallas Stars go the distance and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals? Or do they flunk out early on?
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Remember, this is the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unlike any other league, the seeding does not mean all that much. It’s a whole new game, and any team can run the table.