Now that we are halfway through the season, the Dallas Stars sit 41 games away from either the playoffs or the offseason. Let’s look at the factors and make a reasonable prediction for the end of their year.
Last season was definitely NOT a season to remember for the Dallas Stars.
Throughout the 2016-17 year, the Stars struggled to live up to their potential and the preseason hype that had been set for them. They struggled to find offensive power, continually crumbled on defense, and never had a consistent presence in net. It was an ugly year to say the least, and the Stars have all but forgotten about it.
Going into the 2017 offseason, the Stars needed a lot of help. Their team had some gaping holes across the lineup as well as behind the bench.
But, due to GM Jim Nill’s excellent damage control and ability to fix things practically overnight, the Stars came out of the offseason as a better team.
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It definitely took some time to get adjusted, though. With new coaching styles and a relatively different look on offense, defense, and in net, the Dallas Stars looked like a completely new team. And, as it is with all new things, the strife for progress and success takes time. It simply doesn’t happen overnight.
Now we sit at the halfway point in the offseason. After a rough and boring 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets to start the 2018 year, Dallas capped off the first half of their season.
Through 41 games, the Stars boast a record of 22-16-3. That includes 47 points. In their play, they are averaging 2.93 goals per game and giving up 2.76 goals against per game. They sit in sole control of the first wild card spot, but things are lock tight. Let’s take a look at the standings.
Central Division
- Winnipeg Jets 41 GP 53 PTS
- St. Louis Blues 42 GP 52 PTS
- Nashville Predators 39 GP 51 PTS
Wild Card
1. Dallas Stars 41 GP 47 PTS
2. Anaheim Ducks 41 GP 46 PTS
3. Minnesota Wild 40 GP 45 PTS
4. Chicago Blackhawks 39 GP 44 PTS
5. Colorado Avalanche 39 GP 43 PTS
6. Calgary Flames 39 GP 42 PTS
As you can tell, the Dallas Stars are still within striking distance of the top three spot in the Central as they enter the second half of the season. But they have plenty of company.
Dallas Stars
Since realignment, there has yet to be a season where all seven teams in the Central Division are either holding or are within three points of a playoff spot. It just doesn’t happen, but it goes to show how tight the West is this year. In addition to the Central teams, the Stars have a few Pacific Division teams to keep an eye on as well.
So now that we are halfway through the season (as crazy as that may seem), what should we expect of the Dallas Stars in the second half? While they looked good down the stretch in December, it created little separation for the team in the standings. And, if you want to play the hypothetical game (though this literally cannot happen), if every team in the wild card race above won out in the final half of the season in either regulation or overtime, the Stars would actually miss the playoffs.
Feeling a bit more on edge now? That’s perfectly normal. After all, the Stars have been playing excellent hockey and look as though they deserve a shot in the playoffs this season. The only problem is that every other team in the race looks and feels the same way.
So what’s a reasonable prediction for how the Stars finish their season out?
Well, it’s tough to make a confident one. I do think that Dallas will make the playoffs. They are growing as a team as the season goes along and becoming more consistent as a result. Their numbers are slowly creeping in the right direction, and the wins are becoming more regular. But where will they land?
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With the Jets losing star Mark Scheifele for a few weeks and the Predators losing scoring leader Filip Forsberg for an extended period of time, a spot could very well open up in the top three for Dallas to scrap for. But even if they don’t end up getting in the top three, they are having enough success at the moment against the teams below them in the wild card.
If we go off of the first half, the Stars are projected to finish with 44 wins and 94 points. That should be enough to bump them into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the moment, the Stars would play the Jets (a team they have not beaten this year) in the first round of the postseason.
By the end of it all, there’s a chance that the top three could be shaken up, but the top three teams will probably remain the same barring any meltdowns.
It’s still much too early to tell, but the good news is that the Stars are in the playoff picture at the moment and still have control of their own destiny. It simply depends on if they use this control to their advantage.
Next: Five Things We Learned About Stars In First Half Of 2017-18
The Dallas Stars kick off the second half of their 2017-18 season tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Let’s see if they can start it off on the right foot and keep climbing.