Dallas Stars Down To Last Chance: It’s Now Or Never
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are in the danger zone and are close to falling out of the playoff hunt. This homestand is their last chance at turning the tide on their season.
Don’t you love it when everything seems to go your way yet you still feel like you’re getting nowhere?
That’s what has happened to the Dallas Stars over the past few weeks. Things are thick in the Western Conference playoff hunt at the moment. The St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, and Dallas Stars are all currently fighting for the final two wild card spots in the conference.
Dallas sits last among these six teams but find themselves only four points out of the final spot with two games in hand. So two wins would hypothetically put them in the playoff picture.
But that’s just the problem. The Stars have not been able to win on a consistent basis this season. So far this year, they have only produced two win streaks.
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It’s a bad problem to have, especially considering how inconsistent the other teams around them are performing as well. The past few weeks have seemed to be the perfect time for the Stars to capitalize.
For example, the Blues are 2-3-0 in their last five games, the Flames are 1-3-1, the Canucks are 2-1-2, the Kings are 1-4-0, and the Jets are 2-2-1. This would have been the perfect time for the Stars to build some momentum and jump out ahead of the pack.
Instead, they have turned in an ugly 1-3-1 record in their past five to neutralize any chance of gaining ground. Two of the three regulation losses during that span were to subpar Eastern Conference teams who are struggling to stay in the playoff picture. In other words, they lost games that should have been relatively easy wins.
And that’s really hurting the team’s chances. Sure the other teams are struggling just as much as Dallas, but the Stars are still in last place among teams still realistically fighting for playoff position. If they can’t start winning, other teams losing won’t help them get anywhere.
Through 48 games played, the Dallas Stars (19-20-9) have 47 points. That’s hardly a record to boast around, but somehow it still has the Stars in the thick of contention. But if they can’t change their misfortunes around in the very near future, the playoff hopes are as good as dead. That’s just how it goes in the NHL.
That makes this upcoming homestand absolutely crucial to the Dallas Stars season. On Saturday night, they started up a six-game homestand, the longest one of their season. It spans from January 21 to February 4. They kicked it off with a game against the league-leading Washington Capitals.
If you did not watch the game or look at the stats, you would be perfectly fine with knowing that the Stars secured a point, especially considering the Capitals were 10-0-2 in their previous twelve games when entering the contest. But if you watched the game closely and followed along, you probably believe that the Stars earned two points in that game.
They fought hard and “emptied the tank,” but still could not snag the win.
But a point is still a point. So they are 0-0-1 to start the homestand with five more games to look forward to. The next one is tonight against the Minnesota Wild, who own the best record in the Western Conference and are still surging. They beat Dallas less than two weeks ago by a score of 5-4 at the American Airlines Center and are 2-0-1 against the Stars this season.
Following that, Dallas will host the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Chicago Blackhawks.
That’s 10 points sitting on the board that the Stars could claim. 10 straight points would most assuredly lock Dallas into a playoff spot when it’s all said and done.
In the middle of December, the Stars embarked on a five-game homestand in which head coach Lindy Ruff said the “entire season would land on.” They finished it with a record of 3-1-1 and hopped back into the playoff hunt as a result.
It looks as though Ruff was off by about a month. This homestand will truly determine where the Stars’ season goes. No pressure or anything.
Dallas will take on some of the strongest teams in the NHL and will have to learn to be consistent, even without key players like Johnny Oduya and Radek Faksa. It isn’t going to be easy, but it’s now or never. Time for the Stars to rise to the occasion.
Next: Oduya's Absence Could Bury Stars' Playoff Hopes
There is no more room for playing average hockey. These are tough opponents and every point is critical. It’s time to see what the Dallas Stars are truly made of.
Last night, the Jets, Flames, and Kings all lost. It’s almost as if the Stars couldn’t be given a better opportunity at this point. Will they seize it?