Dallas Stars: Current Win Streak Serves As Critical Step In Playoff Race
The Dallas Stars found a way to outdo the Nashville Predators on Saturday night and pick up a critical win on the road. As a result, they have won four games in a row and are surging at one of the most important times of the season.
When Blake Comeau finally broke the tie between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators on Saturday night, you could almost sense that the Stars were about to win their fourth straight game.
Anton Khudobin was playing rock solid in net, the Stars’ third period defense had been strong in games prior, and the lead seemed to give Dallas a boost of confidence. Less than 45 seconds later, Mattias Janmark scored to add onto that note of confidence.
And, with a few more impressive stops from Khudobin, the Dallas Stars exited Bridgestone Arena with a 3-1 win. Against a divisional opponent. On the second night of a back-to-back.
The victory was yet another impressive performance from the Stars over the past few weeks. As a result, they are riding a four-game win streak against tough opponents and have ascended into the top three in the Central division.
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It all began back on Jan. 19. After losing three games in a row to start a season-long homestand, the Dallas Stars welcomed the Winnipeg Jets to the American Airlines Center. It was their final game before a 10-day break and provided them with one last opportunity to turn their losing woes around and enter the break on a somewhat high note.
The Stars capitalized in the best way possible, posting a 4-2 win over the top team in the Central division. They were faster, more aggressive, and looked like the better team in almost every aspect of the game.
Following their extended break, Dallas was back home this past Wednesday to take on the Buffalo Sabres. And, while their performance wasn’t as dominant and well-rounded against the Sabres as it was against the Jets, the Stars secured a 1-0 win thanks to an early goal from Jamie Benn and an impressive defensive effort from the Dallas blue line and goaltender Ben Bishop.
Two nights later, the Stars played the Minnesota Wild in what the players and coaches considered “a playoff game.” It was a divisional showdown that offered the victor sole control of third place in the division. And though the two teams were tied going into the final frame, the Stars stuck to their successful game plan and received two goals from Tyler Seguin to wrap up the 3-1 win.
The win streak then headed for Nashville, where Dallas once again used their new style to their advantage and knocked off the Predators 3-1.
That brings us to the present. The Dallas Stars are 27-21-4 with 58 points on the season, have won four games in a row to negate a four-game losing streak from mid-January, and sit in third place in the division. And, considering their schedule layout in the month ahead, they could have a chance to get within striking distance of second place in the Central.
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All of this has come along at one of the most important times in the regular season campaign. If a team wins four consecutive games in the first month or two of the season, the streak provides a nice boost but is quickly forgotten about as the season rages on.
But, after the All-Star Break wraps up, games take on a more important significance for every team. The playoff push is on for all but a handful of teams in the NHL. The trade deadline is right around the corner and teams are trying to decide whether they are buyers or sellers. February is the second-to-last full month of the regular season schedule and gives each team a chance to either surge or crumble.
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Considering the Stars’ current position in the standings, this is a critical time of the year. They aren’t at the top or bottom of the NHL ranks, but instead find themselves floating somewhere in the middle (14th place, to be exact). And when you look at the Western Conference playoff race, there’s not a ton of space separating 6-8 teams.
As a result, a losing streak in early February can quickly turn a team in the playoff race into a seller. Take the Anaheim Ducks for example. The Ducks have lost their last three contests, have a tough schedule in the week ahead, and sit three points out of the final wild card spot with a game out of hand. With that being said, don’t be surprised if the Ducks forge ahead in their already busy trade season and sell in order to prepare for the future.
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On the opposite end, a win streak out of the All-Star Break can turn a team that looked to be left for dead into a playoff challenger. The St. Louis Blues sat in the Central division cellar just a few weeks ago, but have since posted a 6-2-1 run that has them three points out of the eighth seed with games in hand.
A winning surge at any point following the ASG provides promise, but keeping one going out of the break can be difficult to do. But, when a team manages to do so, it often finds a way to translate to the rest of the stretch.
The early portion of February is a crucial time of year for every NHL team. The Dallas Stars know that and are using it to their advantage.
The Stars are surging and are doing so at the perfect time. 58 points, a six-point gap separating them from the playoff wall, and wins against some of the best competition in the league. The Sabres are challenging for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Wild were above the Stars in the standings just three days ago, and the Jets and Predators sit above Dallas in the Central race. But Dallas rallied together and found a way to beat each and every one of them regardless of the scenario or circumstances.
And now, here they are. Dallas is on a streak and has a chance to build on it starting on Monday night against the Arizona Coyotes. It’s their last home game before embarking on a five-game road trip and offers them a chance to break the 60-point mark with 30 games to go.
Early February is one of the most difficult times of the year to build momentum. Teams are exiting their long breaks and simply trying to find some consistency to build on.
But since the break ended, the Dallas Stars have yet to falter. With that being said, they are setting themselves up for a promising push to the finish line.
The playoff race is heating up across the league. Four wins in a row is a solid step in the right direction for a team that was struggling to find two points against some of the worst teams in the NHL just a few weeks ago. The Stars are firing on all cylinders and look like a legitimate challenger.
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Let’s see how far this momentum can carry them.