The Stanley Cup race is getting thinner and only four teams remain. With the conference finals underway, which team(s) should Dallas Stars fans be rooting for or against? Here’s a helpful guide weighing the pros and cons of each team.
Being a Dallas Stars fan at this time of year has some perks. What perks, you may ask?
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs rolling along without even a trace of victory green, there’s been no need for heartbreak, panic, or ultimate anxiety. I mean, remember game 6 against Minnesota back in 2016 or game 7 against St. Louis? Those were stressful and painful moments, so it’s nice to know that you can watch the playoffs this year and solely observe from a neutral standpoint.
But at the same time, the Stars aren’t competing for the Stanley Cup. They have missed the postseason in two straight seasons now and have once again returned to the drawing board. Whether they find a solution or not will have to wait until October to be answered. So it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Last night, the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets rounded out the second round of play with an enthralling game seven. The Jets claimed the 5-1 victory and knocked the best regular season team out of the hunt.
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And then there were four. The Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights are the two remaining teams set to decide who wins the West, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals will decide the champion of the East. It’s been a thrilling ride so far, with shocking upsets, thrilling seven-game series, and plenty of major comebacks. But so it goes in the unpredictable game of hockey.
Now that the conference finals are getting underway, though, you may be wondering who to cheer for as a Dallas Stars fan. When the Stanley Cup Playoffs began, Blackout Dallas posted an outlook on each of the 16 teams and why you may want to cheer for each one.
But now that we are down to four, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the ones remaining and see how they line up with your Stars fandom. Here is a rundown of each of the final four teams and the pros and cons that each club boasts in relation to the Dallas Stars.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Pros: The Tampa Bay Lightning are everything the Dallas Stars should want to be. After narrowly missing the postseason last year, they bounced back in a big way, winning their division and now sitting four wins from a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. Their makeup includes a young starting goaltender with a massive upside and a world of potential, plenty of skilled forwards, and a confident defensive group. They have an ideal roster build and could be in for a long stretch of competing.
Pucks and Pitchforks
The Bolts play the game with passion and speed, two things that the Stars really need to boast in their own play next year. They are systematic and grind each game out regardless of the opponent.
Cons: There really isn’t a glaring con about the Lightning that has to do with the Stars. The only real reason to root against them is if you are a person that enjoys “firsts.” Out of the remaining four teams, the Lightning are the only team that has won a Stanley Cup before. So if you want history to be made, maybe cheer for another team.
Washington Capitals
Pros: Ah, the Caps. When the second round began, it looked as though tradition was going to take over yet again. Washington had finished first in the Metropolitan in each of the past two regular seasons only to be ousted in the second round by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
But this year, the Capitals finally broke out of their funk. They knocked off the defending champs in six games and are now four wins away from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 20 years. They are a fun team to watch, especially with Alex Ovechkin rifling home one-timers. They also have former Stars Matt Niskanen and Alex Chiasson on the roster, so there’s more of an incentive for Stars fans.
Cons: Once again, there’s not a lot of beef here on a grand scale. The Caps are a well-rounded team and always power through the regular season, racking up wins along the way. As a Dallas Stars fan, there’s no real reason to not cheer for the Caps to succeed. Unless, of course, you would rather see the Lightning claim the East.
Vegas Golden Knights
Pros: How can you really go wrong here? This is the most amazing story of any expansion team in professional sports, especially in their inaugural season. Vegas went from seemingly nothing to a Western Conference powerhouse in just 82 games. And now, they could continue adding chapters in their epic by advancing to the Final.
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Marc-Andre Fleury is backstopping the Knights with an incredible story of his own and former Star Cody Eakin is filling a sizable role for the team. The storybook continues.
Cons: How could you cheer against this incredible story? This team has rallied a city, built an impressive following, and put their nose to the grindstone in each game. They play the game the right way and are making history while doing it.
Winnipeg Jets
Pros: At the beginning of the regular season, there’s a slim chance that anyone picked the Winnipeg Jets to finish second in the Central Division and Western Conference. There’s probably a good chance that not many picked them to make the playoffs either.
And yet, here they are. The Jets came out of nowhere and used every ounce of their talent to their fullest advantage. They have a stocked lineup and play the game with blazing speed and offensive pressure. It’s their first time to ever make it to the Western Conference Finals, so that’s a plus. And when you do the math, that means they’ve never been to a Stanley Cup Final, either. So we have another good story brewing here.
Cons: The only con sitting in the way is that the Jets are in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars. That makes them more of a rival than any of the other teams still remaining. The Jets ravaged the Stars this past season, turning in a sweep through four games. That’s no fun, right?
Out of all of the teams, the Jets might be the last one that a Stars fan wants to win the Cup. There’s just something about seeing a division rival raise it instead of your team. But then again, maybe you want to see their storybook year continue?
There’s plenty to keep up with regarding the final four in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Above is the information about each team and how they pertain to the Dallas Stars. Make your choices accordingly regarding your rental team for the rest of the postseason. Or you can keep your Stars pride ultimately intact and not cheer for anyone. It’s up to you.
Next: Three Reasons The Stars' 2017-18 Season Wasn't All Bad
Hopefully this assists you in your decision-making process. The games begin tonight at 7 p.m. from Tampa, Florida, so make sure to tune in.