Dallas Stars: What Teams Around Them Are Doing This Week
After dropping a 6-0 bombshell at home on Sunday, the Dallas Stars now embark on a four-day break. While they sit and watch, the rest of the Western Conference will catch up. What will the teams around Dallas face during this week?
The Dallas Stars probably could not have ended their stretch of recent success on a worse note.
On Sunday afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks visited Dallas and dropped a bomb on the Stars. They were stronger, faster, and smarter and outdid Dallas in every facet of the game. As a result, they won in a 6-0 routing. But it wasn’t the Canucks’ success that was necessarily the most shocking; it was the Stars’ failures.
Coming into the game, the Dallas Stars had won five games in a row. They had beaten plenty of odds during the stretch and tied their season high in wins in a row. Their offense was on fire, their defense was on lockdown, and both goaltenders were playing lights out in the crease.
And then it disappeared, almost as if overnight. All of the momentum went down the drain and Dallas dropped to a team that had lost four straight games of their own. The Stars couldn’t find a way to rally together and looked utterly confused for a majority of the game. They had lost their spark entirely and could not find a way to make the game even remotely close.
Dallas Stars
Sometimes, that happens. And while it’s logical even for good teams to slip every once in a while, the timing was not ideal. That’s because the Stars closed out a long streak of success with a goose egg.
And now they are going on another break. After taking two extensive breaks (including a six-day and four-day break) in the month of January, the Stars are set to take another one. They won’t play again until Friday night when they host the St. Louis Blues. That’s four days away from the ice.
But as the Dallas Stars sit back and stew on their loss, the rest of the league will keep playing. Could that be a problem? Well, potentially.
At the moment, the Stars sit with a record of 33-20-4. That totals out to 70 points and gives Dallas sole control of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. While that is an impressive mark, there’s plenty of hockey left to be played. On top of that, there are plenty of teams still in the running for very few playoff spots.
On top of that, the Stars have played a total of 57 games. That’s the second most of any team in the West, trailing only the St. Louis Blues. The other teams have to catch up at some point, and now seems to be that time.
So while the Stars sit out and focus on bouncing back in a big way on Friday, how will the teams around them fare? Is there a chance that Dallas could be bumped from their spot in the standings?
Let’s take a look at what the teams both above and below the Stars will be doing this week around the league.
Teams Above The Stars
While the Dallas Stars are in the first wild card spot right now, they are still within striking distance of the top three teams in the Central Division.
At the moment, the Stars are in fourth place in the Central with 70 points. The Nashville Predators are in first place in the division with 75 points. And while Dallas has a few games out of hand, they are still well within reach of the first, second, and third spots.
The top three teams currently in the Central Division are the Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and St. Louis Blues. The Stars couldn’t cash in on an opportunity to jump the Blues in yesterday’s game against Vancouver, so now they will have to wait and see how the rest of the division fares this week.
So what are the three teams above the Stars up to this week? Is there a chance that Dallas could actually gain ground on their divisional foes? Let’s take a look.
Nashville Predators
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/15)
Opponents: St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames
After falling just short of the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup in the 2017 playoffs, the Predators seem back and hungrier than ever for another shot at eternal glory.
Nashville currently boasts a record of 33-12-9 with 75 points. That’s good enough for first place in the Central Division and puts them one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the Western Conference lead.
The Preds are playing consistent hockey as of late, picking up points in each of their last six games. This week, they have two more chances at nabbing a total of four points and strengthening their lead on the division. These games come at a good time, too, considering the Predators have only played 54 games this season, the lowest of any team in the West.
Nashville Predators
Nashville will play the Blues and Flames before Friday night as they kick off a four-game homestand.
While this could give the Predators a dominant nine-point advantage on Dallas by the time they get to their next game, it also works in the Stars’ favor.
The Dallas Stars are currently chasing the Blues in the standings and are being chased by the Flames. So it’s kind of a partial win however things may go. In terms of the St. Louis game, either the Stars will have another game in hand in the race for third place, or be closer to first place overall. And in terms of the Calgary game, Dallas will either have a more comfortable gap between them and the Flames (who keep bouncing between third in the Pacific Division and just outside the wild card race) or simply be closer to first place yet again.
So pick your poison, Nashville.
Winnipeg Jets
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/16)
Opponents: Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche
The Winnipeg Jets really came out of nowhere this season.
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After finishing with another mediocre record last season and having only been to the playoffs in one of the past ten seasons for the franchise, something needed to be done. Instead, the Jets made practically no significant offseason moves and entered the season with a relatively similar lineup that they had boasted for a while now.
Naturally, they now sit in second place in the division by just two points with a record of 32-15-9. Winnipeg is clicking on all cylinders this season and has managed to stay in the top three for a majority of the year.
This week, their grit will be tested once again. The Jets will play the Capitals, who currently lead the Metropolitan Division, and Avalanche before the Stars get their game finished up on Friday. The Jets have played 56 games this year, so they will catch up with Dallas this week. Will that come with a similar five-point lead or bump to seven or even perhaps nine by Friday night?
St. Louis Blues
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/16)
Opponents: Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars
Otherwise known as the team that the Stars can never seem to catch, the Blues are making headway through 58 games this year. They boast a record of 34-21-3 and own 71 points, a measly one more than the Stars.
If the Dallas Stars are going to dethrone the Blues and throw them to the wild card race, they will first need a Nashville win on Tuesday. Then comes the tough part: mustering up the courage and skill to beat them out of the break on Friday.
While the top three could go any number of ways this week and either help or hurt the Dallas Stars, it’s the teams below them that they should keep a close eye on.
Teams Below The Stars
The Dallas Stars are nowhere close to being a guaranteed playoff team. While that may seem like a ludicrous statement due to their recent play, it’s true. The standings are much too tight right now.
At the moment, only four teams can be logically counted out of the playoff race (Arizona, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Chicago). That leaves 11 teams to battle for eight playoff spots with less than two months left in the season. Needless to say, it’s going to be quite the race to the end.
“We know it’s going to be a sprint to the finish,” said Stars defenseman Greg Pateryn on February 3. “Every team around us has that mentality and mindset so every game is going to be a battle. But it’s going to be fun.”
So while the Stars sit alone in the first wild card spot, every team below them that is still considered in contention has two games in hand (besides Anaheim). Here is how the wild card standings look as of Monday morning.
WC1. Dallas Stars 57 GP 70 PTS
WC2. Minnesota Wild 55 GP 66 PTS
3. Los Angeles Kings 55 GP 65 PTS
4. Anaheim Ducks 57 GP 65 PTS
5. Colorado Avalanche 55 GP 64 PTS
It’s safe to say that things are pretty tight in the race.
So while the Dallas Stars sit for four days, how will the teams around them fare in their respective schedules?
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Blackhawk Up
Minnesota Wild
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/15)
Opponents: New York Rangers, Washington Capitals
The Wild must not have enjoyed getting royally thumped by the Stars last weekend. After Dallas throttled them 6-1 on Retro Night at the AAC, Minnesota bounced back in a big way. They are 2-0-1 since that game and have outscored their opponents 12-6 in the process. As a result, they still own sole control of the second wild card spot.
While there are teams that are challenging, the Wild could potentially tie up the race with the Stars by Thursday night. If they can find a way around NYR and the Caps, they could hit the “57 GP, 70 PTS” mark just like Dallas.
The Wild have a great opportunity to shift the pressure back to the Stars before Friday night’s game against St. Louis. Can they do it?
Los Angeles Kings
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/15)
Opponents: Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins
This next week could pose an interesting stretch for the Kings. After Calgary won on Sunday night, LA was bumped back into the wild card mix as the Flames claimed third in the Central.
But after winning three of their last four contests, the Kings likely aren’t going to roll over easily.
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Rink Royalty
Their competition this week, however, has aspirations of their own. The Hurricanes claimed control of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night and will be fighting to keep possession of it when they play LA on Tuesday.
In addition to that, the Penguins are trying to catch up with the Capitals for first place dibs in the Metropolitan Division. Neither opponent will necessarily be a walk in the park.
Can the Kings prevail and potentially push themselves back into the top three in the Pacific?
Anaheim Ducks
Games: 2 (2/13, 2/15)
Opponents: Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks
The Ducks are currently tied with the Dallas Stars in terms of games played, so these next few days will give Dallas a sizable cushion against the Ducks. In addition to that, the Ducks are at least three games worth of points behind the Stars in the standings (meaning that they would have to play at least three games to cover the five-point margin).
So regardless of how the Ducks do this week, they will not be ahead of Dallas in the standings by the time the Stars take the ice on Friday night.
The Ducks will however get a chance to add another shovelful of dirt onto the Blackhawks’ playoff hopes. Chicago currently sits ten points out of the final wild card spot with no games in hand. While crazier things have happened, the chances of the Hawks coming back seem slim to none simply because of how the other teams in the standings are performing.
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We’ll see what Anaheim does to get themselves back in the race over this week.
Colorado Avalanche
Games: 2 (2/14, 2/16)
Opponents: Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets
For a little while there, the Colorado Avalanche looked as though they’d never lose again. After winning ten in a row to start 2018, the Avs were threatening to overtake Dallas in the wild card standings.
Since then, however, they have cooled off considerably. Since the last win of their 10-game streak, Colorado boasts a record of 3-5-1. Even though that’s not the most impressive, they are still keeping themselves alive in the playoff hunt.
This week, they play a suffering Montreal Canadiens team as well as a threatening Winnipeg Jets club. Both teams could surprise Colorado, who is simply trying to stay afloat. But considering they have two games in hand and are only six points back, anything is still possible for the worst NHL team in 2016-17.
All in all, there’s a lot going on this week as the Dallas Stars will once again take a seat and watch the league around them unfold. On the bright side, there is no way that the Stars will be out of the playoff picture by Friday morning. The worst-case scenario would be the Wild tying with them for the first wild card spot and the top three Central teams moving further away.
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But still, it makes you think. So stay alert as you await Friday night’s showdown with the Blues. A lot could happen and you definitely won’t want to miss it.