The playoff picture continues to shift and tighten in the Western Conference as the Dallas Stars battle for position. And with one game to go before a 10-day break, Saturday’s contests could do a lot in arranging the Stars’ postseason fate.
The Dallas Stars could be outside the Western Conference playoff picture altogether by the time Sunday morning rolls around. Then again, they could also be back in third place in the Central division. They could also end up not moving and remaining in their current spot in the wild card picture.
That’s what is riding on this chilly Saturday afternoon in mid-January. And with only one game to go before enduring a 10-day break, it’s a crucial day for the Stars.
After dropping a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, the Stars picked up a fourth consecutive defeat. They are 0-3-0 to start an important six-game homestand, own a record of 23-21-4 with 50 points on the season, and have fallen back into the first wild card spot. But that’s just the beginning of a long list of problems currently plaguing the team.
The Dallas Stars cannot seem to get anything rolling in their favor at the moment. They are losing to teams sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings and are competing well but still falling short against teams at the top. Their offensive attack is atrocious, scoring three goals in the past four games (0.75 GF/GP) and nine goals in the past seven games (1.29 GF/GP).
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They haven’t scored more than one goal in their last four contests, and each of those goals have come in the third period with the team already trailing. The offense is an inconsistent mess and no line seems able to generate any sort of threat. Meanwhile, their defense and goaltending are holding the line for the most part, but are giving up 2-3 goals per game that the offense simply cannot counter.
As a result, the Stars have forfeited a chance at six valuable points to start their homestand. Coming into the homestand, they were 14-5-2 when playing at the American Airlines Center. Home ice looked to be a strong suit for Dallas, but has since been pushed into questioning.
All in all, it’s a dysfunctional mess in Dallas right now. The Stars are struggling to build a consistent streak and continue clouding up their identity. Their offense is a mess, they are losing to teams that they should be beating, and they cannot pick up a point in what looked to be the most favorable stretch of their 2018-19 schedule.
"“Some of the guys said it and [Tyler Seguin] said it, I think, where sometimes we might play down to other team’s levels. And, you know what? That’s a real thing. It’s sh**ty. We shouldn’t ever do that because we are a good team and we could take over. Unfortunately, that’s been a mentality sometimes, I guess.” –Jason Dickinson on Jan. 12"
And yet, through all of the negatives from this past week, the Dallas Stars are still sitting in a playoff spot.
As of Saturday morning, the Stars owned control of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. They are still included in the picture due in large part to the fact that the other teams in the race are struggling as well. But, their cushion is shrinking significantly and could very well be gone within 24 hours.
This is what the Western Conference wild card race looks like at the moment:
1. Dallas Stars 48 GP 50 PTS 23 ROW
2. Vancouver Canucks 49 GP 50 PTS 21 ROW
3. Minnesota Wild 47 GP 49 PTS 22 ROW
4. Edmonton Oilers 47 GP 49 PTS 20 ROW
5. Anaheim Ducks 48 GP 49 PTS 17 ROW
As you can see, it’s an airtight race. Just one point separates five teams from the final two playoff spots. When talking about the Stars and Wild specifically, they are also within reach of third place in the Central division, which is currently held by the Colorado Avalanche (47 GP 50 PTS 21 ROW).
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Of the six teams mentioned above, five will play on Saturday. The Ducks take on the New Jersey Devils at noon, the Avalanche play the Los Angeles Kings at 2:00 p.m., the Wild take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at 8:00 p.m., and the Oilers play the Calgary Flames at 9:00 p.m.
Finally, the Stars will square off with the Winnipeg Jets at 6:00 p.m. from the AAC.
So, there is plenty of potential juggling that could occur tonight. By Sunday morning, the same two teams could be sitting in the wild card spots. Or, there could be two entirely new clubs in the picture. The Stars could even find themselves back in third place in the division.
But one thing is certain: the Dallas Stars need a win.
With only one game to go before an extended break where all they can do is watch the standings and hope for the best, the stage is set for a big game on Saturday night. Picking up a divisional win while breaking a losing skid and getting back on track on home ice would bring a lot of light into a Stars’ world that is currently cloudy and confusing.
Following Saturday night’s game, Dallas will take on a 10-day rest from action that includes the CBA-mandated five-day break and the 2019 NHL All-Star Break. Both Stars players and coaches have pointed out that the team always thinks about their most recent game when going into a break. Dwelling on another disappointing loss and a five-game skid for 10 days could crush their mindset altogether. A win, on the other hand, could propel them into the break and have them chomping at the bit to get back into action on Jan. 30.
There’s a lot riding on this Saturday in the NHL. Positions will shift and streaks will start, continue, and end. Every team in the West playoff race is starting to feel the pressure. The real question is which ones will crack under it and which ones will endure.
Sitting at the center of the Saturday action is the Dallas Stars as they welcome in a red-hot Jets team that has won seven of their last nine contests.
“These games are huge for us, especially going into that break where we can rest feeling great about our game and then keep it rolling off the break,” Dickinson said. “If we go into the break holding our sticks tight, the break was all for nothing and we’re just back to where we were.”
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“I think we look at the standings fairly often,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said back on Jan. 12. “It’s nicer to look at after a win than it is after a loss; that’s just the way it is. But, I’m always more concerned with how our team is playing and how we’re growing.
“The frustrating part sometimes is you don’t see enough growth and then you do see growth and you get excited about how good we could be. Trying to get to that level where we start to see what we are on a daily basis is when we’re not going to have to worry about looking at the standings. We’re just going to know where we should be and we’ll be there.”
Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight from the American Airlines Center. Can the Stars rise to the occasion and fight their way out of a corner? And where will it put them going into the break?