Dallas Stars: Looking Ahead At Their March 2018 Schedule

It’s do-or-die time across the NHL as the decisive month of March kicks off. With the regular season quickly coming to an end, it’s time to see if the Dallas Stars truly are playoff ready.

Things are starting to get serious for the Dallas Stars and the other 30 teams in the NHL.

It’s March 1, 2018. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day are in the past. With those holidays goes things like All-Star Weekend and the NHL Trade Deadline as well.

All that’s left to do now is play hockey and try to do it better than the teams near you in the standings. That can be a lot more difficult than some teams and people realize, but it’s true.

And as March gets going, there’s no time to sit back and process what’s going on in the standings. All teams can really do now is hit the ice and make one final push. Will they have enough in the tank to propel them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Or will they fall short and head for an early offseason?

Dallas Stars

Every team’s story is different except for the fact that they have somewhere between 17-21 games left in their regular season schedule. And for the Dallas Stars, that poses an intriguing test.

The Stars finished the month of February off with a thrilling 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. Not only did Dallas snap a negative skid that saw them lose four of their previous six (including some embarrassing finishes), but they gained important ground in the playoff race.

But there are still 19 games to go before they can begin celebrating. And as we’ve seen over the past two or three months, a lot can change in a few games.

February turned out to be the Stars’ best month in regards to winning percentage this season. Dallas posted a record of 8-4-0 and showed significant promise in their wins. In their victories, the Stars were quick on offense, precise on defense, and lockdown in the crease. They boasted a five-game win streak during the month and showed the signs of a playoff-worthy team destined to make a sizable run.

But their losses were where things became questionable. In the Stars’ four losses last month, they were outscored 18-5. That includes 6-0 and 5-2 blowouts. So how much do you trust these Dallas Stars? Enough to feel confident in GM Jim Nill skipping the trade deadline and sticking to his guns? Only time will tell on whether the Stars made good decisions in the month of February.

That’s where March comes into play. Dallas is 36-23-4 on the year with 76 points. They sit in the first wild card spot at the moment, but are within striking distance of both the spots above and below them. While that may be encouraging, it can also bring along a lot of anxiety. 19 games remain in the season to help paint a lasting image of what this Stars team truly is.

The Dallas Stars kick off their March play tonight at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the third game in a five-game homestand for Dallas and comes with a solid test to start the month. The Lightning own the best record in the NHL at 43-17-4 and already beat the Stars 6-1 back in November. With that being said, it’s important for Dallas to get the month started on a high note.

Let’s take a look at all of the opponents the Dallas Stars will face this month:

Tampa Bay Lightning (1 game: home), St. Louis Blues (1 game: home), Ottawa Senators (2 games: 1 home, 1 away), Nashville Predators (1 game: away), Anaheim Ducks (1 game: home), Pittsburgh Penguins (1 game: away), Montreal Canadiens (1 game: away), Toronto Maple Leafs (1 game: away), Winnipeg Jets (1 game: away), Washington Capitals (1 game: away), Boston Bruins (1 game: home), Vancouver Canucks (1 game: home), Philadelphia Flyers (1 game: home), Minnesota Wild (2 games: 1 home, 1 away)

Now let’s break this whole thing down.

This will hands-down be the busiest month for the Stars as they play 16 games in 31 days. That’s a game every 1.94 days, which will definitely prove to be a trying exercise. Dallas played 15 games in the month of December and posted a record of 8-5-2, if you’re looking for a similar comparison.

One of the key differences between December and March, though, is the location of the games. Of the Stars’ 15 games in the last month of 2017, eight of them were at home. In March, eight of the Stars’ 16 games will be on the road. While that is only a slight difference, it’s the stretches that make it challenging.

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Considering the extensive number of games in the month, there is also a factor of Dallas getting little rest. Their longest break of the month will be two days long and will be used for traveling. The Stars will also face two back-to-backs this month, both of which will involve traveling to a new location. The first one is scheduled for March 5 and 6 (home vs. Ottawa, away vs. Nashville) and the second one is scheduled for March 13 and 14 (away at Montreal, away at Toronto).

That’s good news for a team that seems to struggle with managing extensive rest, but could also be costly for a team that struggles with “three games in four days” sets.

This month is the final full act for the Dallas Stars in the regular season. Besides a three-game road trip to California in April, this is it. It’s their final opportunity to make an image for themselves.

The playoff push is as hot as it’s going to get right now, and Dallas is still very much on the fence for the postseason. Lots of teams are.

The month of March will make or break the Stars. There are a lot of challenges awaiting them on the 31-day journey, and their playoff readiness will be greatly tested when encountering each one.

Next: Power Ranking The Dallas Stars For February

It’s do-or-die time for the 2017-18 Dallas Stars. Are they deserving of a postseason spot and can they make some noise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? We’ll find out over the next 31 days.