Dallas Stars: Evaluating Opponents In Western Conference Playoff Race
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are nearing the end of the regular season and have four or five teams that they are still parrying with in the playoff race. With time winding down, do the Stars have what it takes to complete the push? Well, a lot of it will depend on what the teams around them do over the final games.
In 15 days, the Dallas Stars will close the book on their 2017-18 regular season. Whether they will play past that is anyone’s guess at this point, but one thing is for sure: the race is on.
As of Friday morning in the Western Conference, three teams sit comfortably ahead of the pack in their respective divisions. In addition to that, there are four teams sitting depressingly outside of the playoff race. But for those other eight teams, there’s nothing but a cluster.
There is currently ten points separating the first of these eight teams from the last. If you take out the Calgary Flames (who only have 80 points and have played the most games), there’s only a six-point spread.
And at the bottom of that spread sits the Dallas Stars with a record of 38-28-8. With their 84 points, the Stars currently sit four points out of both the first and second wild card spots. Here is a quick look at the wild card race in the West.
1. Colorado Avalanche 74 GP 88 PTS
2. Anaheim Ducks 74 GP 88 PTS
3. St. Louis Blues 73 GP 85 PTS
4. Dallas Stars 74 GP 84 PTS
As you can see, it’s not the ideal situation to be in with the season winding down. There are only eight games remaining in the Stars’ season and the clock is ticking quickly. At this rate, it looks as though Dallas will not only have to win at least six or seven of their games, but also get a little help along the way. While relying on other teams to keep your hopes afloat is a recipe for disaster, it’s about all that the Stars have left to rest their hope in.
Things have quickly taken a turn from bad to downright horrific for the Stars over the past two weeks. But there is no time to dwell on the ugly recent past. Dallas has to find a way to bounce back on home ice and salvage either their playoff hopes or at least something positive from this season before time runs out.
And yes, their playoff hopes are still alive. They may be slim, but the team still has a pulse. And just think, they aren’t in as bad of a position as Calgary is at the moment. So, that’s a plus.
But now is the time for action. It’s time to shape up or ship out, make or break, and win or go home.
As I mentioned above, the Stars are one of many teams still in a tight race spanning across both divisions. Let’s break this down.
Considering that the top three teams from each division make it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, let’s go ahead and assume that Nashville and Winnipeg are locks for the Central. On the flip side, let’s say that Vegas and San Jose have their tickets punched in the Pacific. That leaves one spot open in each division (currently held by Minnesota in the Central and Los Angeles in the Pacific) and the two wild card spots. That’s not a lot of space to stand on, especially for the Stars who will need to gain ground before anything else.
So what are the Dallas Stars up against in this final stretch? And after covering them, what are the teams around them in the standings going up against? Will the other teams be challenged enough to where they miscue and give the Stars an opening? It doesn’t look that way at the moment, but anything is possible. All they have to do is outlast two of the teams listed above.
Let’s take a look at how each of those teams will close out their regular season slate.