Dallas Stars Facing Heavy Central Division Slate In Upcoming Week

The Dallas Stars are currently riding one of their hottest streaks of the season and are moving up the standings as a result. But, with a handful of Central division showdowns awaiting them in the week ahead, it’s another chance to see just how prepared they are to solidify their spot.

Home ice has offered a strong advantage to the Dallas Stars through the first 42 games of the 2018-19 season. And with all of their inconsistencies and ups and downs in the first half of the year, it’s been nothing less than a critical asset.

With 21 home games under their belt, the Stars are a solid 14-5-2. They have accumulated 71.4 percent of the possible points at the American Airlines Center and have only lost two home games in regulation since Nov. 16.

That’s an impressive statistic and it just might be saving the Stars’ season at the moment. After dropping two straight home games going into the NHL Holiday Break to drop to 18-16-3 and fall out of the playoff race, Dallas has a revitalized energy on home ice.

They just recently wrapped up a four-game homestand that carried them into the 2019 year and posted a 3-0-1 record. The Stars scored 14 goals during the stretch and picked up seven valuable points. Those points ended up catapulting Dallas from outside of the playoff picture to third place in the Central division standings.

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That’s a big development. For a Dallas Stars team that has struggled in the divisional race over the past few seasons, it’s impressive to see them making headway. On top of that, the Stars have won their last two contests against Central opponents (2-1 overtime win at Minnesota and 2-0 win at Nashville) to bump their divisional record to 3-4-1 on the year.

But the race is far from over. With 40 games left on the schedule, the battle to the postseason is just beginning to heat up. And even though the Stars currently sit third in the Central, the Colorado Avalanche are close on their tail. And if Dallas slips back into the wild card race, there are four teams involved.

So, the room for error is still practically nonexistent. And that’s what makes this upcoming week even more important.

Starting on Sunday afternoon, the Stars will kick off a four-game week that includes a three-game road trip followed by one home game to cap it off. Of those four games, three will come against a divisional opponent. That stretch starts on Sunday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets, continues on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, and then finishes on Saturday night on home ice against St. Louis. The only non-divisional contest in the week is a non-conference matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

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This presents the Dallas Stars with an opportunity. Divisional games are considered “four-point games” because of the swing that can be involved with a win or loss. For example, when the Stars beat the Predators on Dec. 27, they moved within five points of second place in the division. A loss would have pinned them nine points behind.

Sunday’s game against the Jets poses a similar feeling. With the Stars in third with 48 points on the year, the Jets sit just above them with 52 points. A win could pull Dallas within one game of the second place spot in the division. A loss could bump them from the top three altogether.

Following Sunday’s grudge match, the Stars will square off with the 29th (twice) and 30th teams in the NHL. Six points in three games against struggling teams could potentially push Dallas into second place and even set them up for a run at first place in the division. Nashville currently sits atop the Central with 53 points.

But this is a week that sets the Stars up with another examination. They started the 2019 year off on a hot note, but this next week puts them against their worst enemies: Central division foes and road games.

3-4-1 against the Central. 8-11-2 on the road. A big week ahead that has the potential to significantly jumble the Stars’ playoff standing. So, how will they respond? And which way will it go?

We’ll find out starting this afternoon in Winnipeg. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. against the Jets with a five-game points streak on the line.