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Dallas Stars Can Learn a lot from 2017 Western Conference Performances

By Allison Scott |
Apr 6, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators center Colton Sissons (10) and Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Predators defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators center Colton Sissons (10) and Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Predators defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been a wild ride so far, especially in the Western Conference. That being said, the Dallas Stars can definitely learn from some teams that were recently still hanging around in the race.

Making it to the playoffs is a goal for every team in the NHL. Some teams set their sights on home ice advantage, but the truth of the matter is that anything can happen once you get there.

Although they were unable to do that this year, the Dallas Stars can learn a lot from just that after the first few rounds of the playoffs.

Standings Simply Set Opponents

A year ago when the Stars entered the postseason as the Central Division champions they boasted home ice advantage as they defeated the Minnesota Wild in the first round. They then faced off against the St. Louis Blues to lose in a Game 7 performance that was nothing short of abysmal on home ice.

While their positioning might have been advantageous in their initial opponent, it really did not have as big of an influence as one might think. Home ice does not translate to anything more than logistics in a lot of cases and the standings have proven to be motivators for teams, specifically those having fought until the end of the regular season to squeeze in.

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Look at this year’s Nashville Predators for example. They finished fourth in the division and eighth in the conference with a 94 point performance and have made it to the Western Conference Finals.  The Predators transformed their just good enough season into the strongest playoff run in their franchise’s history and it is all because they found a way.

Although that was not the case for last season’s Dallas Stars, it is motivating to see how teams can overcome the misconstrued second wild card position to really make a push for the cup.

Youth is No Excuse

Another thing the Stars can take away from this postseason is that age has little to do with success in the NHL. While experience is great, it does not necessarily translate to victory.

Dallas can thank the Edmonton Oilers for that. Their young roster and playoff inexperience has led to a strong playoff run that ended last night in the semifinals. The Oilers entered this postseason as a team that had not played past early April for a decade, but solidified themselves as more than capable of powering through obstacles to make it to the end of the second round.

While the Stars have made it to the playoffs on a significantly more consistent basis than the Oilers, it is encouraging to see a team as inexperienced in the postseason fare so well. It reinforces the concept that anything can happen when competing for the Stanley Cup and getting there really is the most important thing.

Next: Stars Acquire Ben Bishop from Kings

Next Season

Despite their lack of participation in this year’s postseason shenanigans, the Stars will learn from the experiences of both the Predators and the Oilers even if they do not win the Cup. Hopefully that will translate to the ice as they head into the new campaign refreshed and ready to go.

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