Dallas Stars News: An Updated Look At 2018-19 Central Division Race

The 2018-19 Central Division race is becoming more packed with each passing day. Sunday provided another intriguing step in the race. Here’s where the Dallas Stars stand going into a new week.

Things are only getting more crowded in the Western Conference playoff race as the 2018-19 regular season rages on. And though they are currently in the thick of it, it’s a race that could quickly catch up with the Dallas Stars.

The last month has provided some of the most enticing and entertaining action out West. Some teams have surged from the conference cellar to the middle of the wild card picture, others have even gone so far as the bottom of the conference to a top-three spot in the division, and others have slipped from prominence to outside of the picture entirely.

And while the Pacific division has remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, the Central division is seeing a free-for-all ensue.

Back on Feb. 1, the Dallas Stars defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1 at the American Airlines Center to pick up a third straight win. The victory also moved them into third place in the division after weeks of striving.

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24 hours later, they dug out a 3-1 win over the Predators in Nashville to provide some insurance on their lead. Things got even better two days later when Dallas pulled off a 5-4 comeback victory against the Arizona Coyotes. The win marked five in a row, put the Stars on their hottest streak of the season, and earned them a comfortable lead in third place.

Oh, how things have changed. Since then, the Stars turned in a 1-3-1 road trip that wrapped up on Saturday night with a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The defeat marked their second consecutive loss and shutout after dropping a 6-0 contest in Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

And now, the Dallas Stars are back in the wild card picture. As the race continues to tighten and teams keep pushing back to the top half of the race, the Stars will be in a situation with minimal breathing room going forward.

That’s a testament to where the Central division is headed. The Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators have remained untouched in the top two spots of the division for months now, but could have a challenger in the St. Louis Blues, who have won 10 games in a row. The Stars are close behind, the Minnesota Wild are struggling to stay afloat in the playoff picture, the Colorado Avalanche are sinking, and the Chicago Blackhawks are back from the bottom of the conference to make a strong final push.

On Sunday afternoon, the Blues routed the Wild in a 4-0 shutout. The win pushed them to a double-digit streak and gave them a more sizable cushion as they not only try and separate from the wild card picture, but also catch up to the Predators.

Here’s a look at the current Central Division standings that will carry into Monday morning:

1. Winnipeg Jets 59 GP 76 PTS 34 ROW +31 DIFF

2. Nashville Predators 61 GP 73 PTS 33 ROW +26 DIFF

3. St. Louis Blues 58 GP 67 PTS 31 ROW +12 DIFF

4. Dallas Stars (WC) 58 GP 63 PTS 29 ROW -4 DIFF

5. Minnesota Wild (WC) 59 GP 60 PTS 26 ROW -12 DIFF

6. Colorado Avalanche 58 GP 57 PTS 23 ROW -6 DIFF

7. Chicago Blackhawks 59 GP 57 PTS 23 ROW -24 DIFF

That’s a four-point gap for the Stars to cover with a game out of hand as the race rages on.

This week is the perfect opportunity to close the gap, but it won’t be easy. Dallas has a three-game homestand with Nashville (2/19), St. Louis (2/21), and Carolina (2/23) coming to visit. After that, they will head to Chicago (2/24) to close the week. That’s three different divisional matchups that offer a chance to shift the Central race in a significant way.