Dallas Stars Face Challenging Task Following Long Schedule Break

Although there is more than a week remaining in a season-long break for the Dallas Stars, it’s never too early to look ahead. And upon exiting their stretch of inactivity, the Stars will face a critical stretch.

If you haven’t already been able to tell, the Dallas Stars are currently in the midst of a 10-day break from action. After defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4-2 on Saturday night, the Stars slipped into an extended period of inactivity that will carry them into next week.

Over the next eight days, there are a handful of games around the league as well as the 2019 NHL All-Star Weekend to keep Stars fans interested. But even with the outside distractions, there still seems to be a void. Perhaps that’s due to the Stars’ current situation.

Following their win on Saturday, Dallas entered the break with a record of 24-21-4 and 52 points. The two points helped the Stars hold onto their playoff spot for the time being and gave them some motivation to carry into their resting period.

But their situation is only becoming more pressing and challenging. At the moment, the Dallas Stars control the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and are one point back of third place in the Central division. However, they are currently stuck in an airtight race with 4-6 teams for a limited number of spots at the playoff table.

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That makes for an incredibly interesting race to follow over the final ten weeks of the regular season. It also makes the Stars’ return to the ice all the more enticing.

So, why not look ahead a little bit? Sure, there is plenty of time for the standings to shift in the next eight days and a lot could happen, but how about taking a quick look at what awaits the Stars as they exit their break?

Upon wrapping up their period of inactivity, the Stars will play three games in a span of four days. It all starts with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at the American Airlines Center on Jan. 30. It’s the first of two meetings between the clubs this year and will give Dallas a firsthand glimpse at one of the Eastern Conference’s biggest surprises so far in 2018-19.

Though they are currently sitting outside of the playoff picture, the Sabres have built a new reputation for themselves this season. Buffalo is 24-18-6 on the season with 54 points and sits just four points out of the final wild card spot in the east. Prior to some inconsistent stretches in December and so far in January, the Sabres posted an 11-3-1 record in the month of November. Their balanced attack has helped them stay afloat through 48 games and has them in contention for a playoff spot. For a team that hasn’t finished higher than second-to-last in their divisional standings over the past five seasons, that’s impressive.

The Stars will square off with a Sabres team just as desperate as them to get into the postseason, which should make for a fast-paced and exciting game between two teams in need of two points.

Two days later, Dallas will wrap up its homestand against the Minnesota Wild. It’s the third meeting of the season between the two clubs, with the series being stuck in a 1-1 split. What’s important about this game is that the Stars were passed by the Wild in the standings on Monday evening.

After a 1-5-1 skid helped them close out 2018 on a rough note, the Wild have built a quick resurgence and find themselves back in contention for a top three spot in the Central division. With only one point currently separating the two teams in the race for third place, next Friday night’s game will be a chance for the Stars to either gain the upper hand or lose their footing in a four-point game.