Playoff hockey is coming to Texas even though it won’t be at the NHL level. The Texas Stars, who is the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, clinched a playoff spot last week and will start their Calder Cup journey next week.
The Dallas Stars aren’t in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the eighth time in ten years. While that’s disappointing and frustrating, things aren’t all bad throughout the organization. In fact, there is playoff hockey action preparing to get underway in Cedar Park next week.
That’s because on Saturday night, the Texas Stars clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Stars, who serve as the AHL affiliate for Dallas, defeated the Rockford IceHogs in a 4-3 rally in order to secure their spot.
Texas is on fire as of late, going 5-2-3 in their last ten games and beating some tough, playoff-worthy competition along the way. If only the Dallas Stars knew how to put together a late season surge like Texas has done.
This qualification for the playoffs adds to a pretty consistent streak for Texas as well. The Stars will compete for the Calder Cup for the seventh time in the past nine seasons since originating in 2009. They’ve won their division twice in that span and secured their first Calder Cup championship in the 2013-14 season. The run went side-by-side with the Dallas Stars’ first playoff visit in five years, giving Stars fans a multitude of playoff hockey to follow along with.
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Texas did not qualify for the playoffs last season, extinguishing a prior four-year streak of doing so. But they bounced back this season and are now preparing for the run.
A few players are helping lead the charge for the Stars this year. Travis Morin continues to serve in a crucial role for the team. He leads all Texas players with 60 points in 74 games played. Curtis McKenzie, who has played with Dallas in several stints over the past few seasons, leads all Texas players with 25 goals. He also has 48 points in 50 games. Not a bad season for the first-year captain.
The Texas Stars are also receiving great help from their defense and goaltending. Gavin Bayreuther, who the Dallas Stars signed out of college last year, leads all defensemen with 31 points this season. He is followed closely by Brent Regner, who has ten goals and 30 points on the year.
And in the backstop, both Mike McKenna and Landon Bow are providing Texas with a two-headed edge. McKenna, who recently returned to Texas after a stint with Dallas, has played in 31 games for Texas this year, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average. Landon Bow has run the crease for the majority of the year with 45 games played, posting a .904 SV% and 2.86 GAA.
Texas will also have help with the addition of Remi Elie and Jason Dickinson from the Dallas Stars.
The Texas Stars currently sit in third place in the Pacific Division with a record of 37-24-8-5. With two games to go, they are closing in on the Calder Cup Playoff race, which begins next week. At this rate, it looks as though they will play the Ontario Reign in the first round.
There’s a lot to follow in Cedar Park right now, and we’ve got one of the best in the business in Tom Dorsa down there to keep up with it all.
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Let’s see what the Texas Stars are made of and if they have another magical run in store for 2018.