The Dallas Stars could accomplish more than one significant step with a win tonight over the Chicago Blackhawks. Not only would they complete the season sweep against Chicago, but they could also push the Hawks to the brink.
It’s not often that an opportunity like this arises for the Dallas Stars.
Tonight, the Stars will face off with the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center in hopes of winning their fourth straight game. This will be the first game of a back-to-back for Dallas, with the second one coming at home tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But that’s not why this one is so special. It’s special for of a few different reasons.
The first reason is that if the Stars win tonight, they will sweep the season series against Chicago. No, this isn’t some crazy dream. A win would give the Dallas Stars four straight against the Hawks and reward them with a final record of 4-0-0 against Chicago this year.
Dallas Stars
Since the Stars joined the Central Division during realignment in 2013, the one team that has consistently been a thorn in their side is the Blackhawks. Coming into this season, Dallas owned a record of 7-8-5 against Chicago, including an 0-3-2 mark last season.
It’s been a struggle keeping up with a team with three Stanley Cup championships in the last eight years. Even though some of the season series look incredibly unbalanced (like 0-3-2 last season and 4-1-0 in 2015-16), the two teams constantly butt heads and keep things close.
The fact that the Stars have a chance to completely shut out the Hawks (though Chicago has picked up an overtime point in two of the three games against Dallas this year) is nothing short of impressive. Dallas has found a way to kick things up a notch each time they play the Blackhawks this year, and it’s finally paying off.
But while that is an impressive opportunity that deserves recognition, the second one is even more significant. If the Stars win tonight’s game, they could put a severe dent in Chicago’s playoff hopes.
We’re talking about a Blackhawks team that has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past ten seasons. So yes, this is a pretty interesting development.
The fact of the matter is that Chicago currently sits in dead last in the Central Division standings. They sit six points out of sixth place, which is currently held by the Colorado Avalanche. But how far are they away from the final playoff spot in the West, which is currently held by the Minnesota Wild? Seven points. In other words, at least four games worth of points away.
Sitting between them and the playoffs are four teams who seem to want it just as badly, if not worse, than the Blackhawks. With less than 30 games to go, that’s a lot of ground to cover and a lot of teams to jump. They are 3-5-2 in their last ten games and cannot seem to string together any sort of consistency.
While it’s never a good idea to count out the Hawks (as we’ve seen in the past), the writing on the wall is becoming more clear. Remember when Stars fans were coming up with scenarios where Dallas could get into the playoffs in early February of last year? That’s about where Blackhawks fans are right now.
The Hawks’ chances of making the playoffs are down to 8.1 percent, according to Sports Club Stats. That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, but with all of the other teams around Chicago keeping their current pace, the Blackhawks would need to be near undefeated to make the jump. A loss against the Stars tonight could deliver another critical blow to their already slim odds.
More from Editorials
- Dallas Stars hockey is about to be the main attraction in Dallas this year
- Age Before Beauty: The impact of Benn’s new role on his Dallas legacy
- Dallas Stars hockey is the light at the end of the tunnel
- Dallas Stars coverage is lacking and it’s very concerning to be honest
- Sit back, relax and watch Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars draft scouts cook
And finally, tonight’s win could propel the Dallas Stars out of the wild card standings for the first time in months. The Stars have kept up with the rest of the Western Conference over the past 8-10 weeks but have yet to make a jump. Instead, they have bounced back and forth between the two wild card spots.
But tonight, that could all change. If the Stars can defeat the Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues lose in regulation to the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas will be in sole control of third place in the Central Division. It’s an exciting possibility and could help the Stars build even more momentum as they get further and further from the playoff wall.
There’s a lot on the line for both teams tonight. The Dallas Stars could check off a lot of boxes and potentially cross one more name off the playoff race list with a win tonight.
Next: 3 Reasons The Stars Should Be Active At Trade Deadline
Ben Bishop is in net and the lines are expected to stay the same. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and you won’t want to miss it.