Dallas Stars Have Another Opportunity To Capitalize In Central Division

Tonight, the Dallas Stars will throw it back to 1993 with a Retro Night theme against the Minnesota Wild. While that is entertaining and all, the real focus needs to be on all that a win could do for the Stars in the standings.

One of these days, the Dallas Stars will take advantage of an opportunity that propels them into greatness. It has to happen at some point, right?

So many times this season, the Stars have struggled with cashing in on said opportunities. They have played great hockey at all other points during the 2017-18 year, but when the game carries extra weight, it seems to throw them off.

We saw it towards the end of January. Dallas had posted a 4-0-1 record over an eight-day span and was quickly catching fire. But even with their impressive and dominant performances lined up, they made little to no progress in the standings. That’s due to the fact that every team near Dallas is playing either at the same caliber as them or higher.

That’s becoming an increasing problem as we approach the final 30 games of the season, but it’s nothing that the Stars can control. All they can control is their own results and hope that they eventually make an impact in the playoff race.

Dallas Stars

And boy did they. But the results weren’t necessarily positive.

After getting points in five straight, it finally seemed as though the teams around Dallas were cooling off. The Avalanche went 0-2-1 to end the month of January and the Wild also posted a loss to close out the month. While that doesn’t seem like a big help, it really presents a great opportunity for the Stars considering how tight things are in the standings. Every inch of ground is undeniably valuable.

But instead of capitalizing on the opportunity, the Stars let it slip from their grasp. They dropped consecutive regulation losses to both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings. In the process, the other teams found a way to either broaden their lead in the division or slip closer to Dallas in the wild card race. With all of this mixed together, the Dallas Stars closed out January with a feeling of intense uncertainty.

They did respond in a positive way to open up February, though. Dallas bounced back from the two-game skid in a big way, defeating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 and getting a much-needed two points. Though it was against the worst team in the Western Conference, it was an impressive victory that secured the first wild card spot for the Stars, at least for a few more days.

And now they have another opportunity to take the next step forward.

Tonight, the Dallas Stars will turn back the clock and play a 1993-themed “Retro Night” game against the Minnesota Wild. While the reduced prices and old playlists will intrigue Stars fans (especially ones from the inaugural season), this game means a lot more than the 90’s vibes.

That’s because after last night’s 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Wild claimed sole possession of the second wild card spot. On top of that, they are only one point back of the Dallas Stars with a game in hand.

Not only that, but there are four teams within four points of the Stars in the standings, and all four have at least one game in hand. That could bode unfortunate for Dallas if things don’t fall their way.

But like we established earlier, the Stars cannot focus on what they cannot control. All they can do is focus on their own game plan and making sure that it works. And tonight, a win (particularly in regulation) would really help Dallas out.

Not only would it create a three-point spread between the Stars and Wild, but it could also potentially give them a four-point spread between the other wild card race contenders. They could also gain ground on third place in the Central Division. Dallas trimmed the St. Louis Blues’ lead in the standings to three points with the win on Thursday, and the Stars still have a game in hand.

Tonight’s game brings a two-sided effect with it. Not only will the winner create breathing room, but the loser will miss out on a valuable opportunity to knock off a team that is in tight contention with them. Games against the division are more crucial than ever at this point in the season, and the opportunities are becoming more and more scarce.

Next: February 2018 Comes With Huge Test For Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars have a golden opportunity to take a big step forward in the standings with a win over the Wild tonight. Will this be the time that they finally seize it?