Dallas Stars: Playoff Series vs. Predators Offers Thrilling Potential

Tuesday night offered a thrilling final chapter in the regular season series between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. The game once again provided excitement and intensity, which begs the question: what would a postseason series between these two teams look like?

The Dallas Stars lost to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. The defeat dropped the Stars to a three-game losing streak, as well as 1-4-1 in their last six games, and added a little more pressure to their hunt for the postseason.

But we’re not here to talk about that today. Instead, we’re going to talk about the budding rivalry itself and how it could potentially grow all the more intense over the next 2-3 months.

Let’s step back for a minute to the summer of 2013. As they prepare to realign the divisions in an attempt to better balance the league, the NHL shifted from a six-division format to a four-division format. One of those divisions was the Central division in the Western Conference, and it included both the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators.

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Neither team had done much in the previous decade in terms of consistent success and both were still in need of a breakthrough.

Now, fast-forward to Feb. 19, 2019. The Stars drop a 5-3 finish to the Predators at the American Airlines Center and finish their five-game season series against Nashville with a record of 2-1-2. Meanwhile, the Predators wrap up a 3-2-0 record against Dallas.

But the airtight records are only scratching the surface when trying to define this 2018-19 regular season series.

In the five-game set between Dallas and Nashville this season, there were high scoring games, defensive battles, goalie duels, a heavy dose of physicality, and plenty of bad blood brewing.

The series perfectly encompassed everything a hockey fan could want. Both teams picked up important wins at critical times, while others received losses that contributed to challenging setbacks.

Jamie Benn and P.K. Subban tied up with each other more than once during the series, jawing away in a conversation that fans could only dream of hearing. Anton Khudobin got deep into the heads of the Predators as he posted a .989 save percentage over a two-game span at Bridgestone Arena. That warranted verbal tirades and even included Ryan Hartman putting a stick between Khudobin’s legs (to which Esa Lindell quickly intervened by dropping the gloves with Hartman).

Hits became a dominant statistic, there were plenty of post-whistle scrums, and the teams continued to build a rivalry that the entire NHL can take note of.

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But now the rivalry will take a pause. And while the teams continue to jockey for position in the Western Conference playoff standings, the next 23 games won’t involve anymore of the southern divisional scrap.

That doesn’t mean that they won’t square off any more this year, though. With the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs quickly approaching and the race getting tighter, the potential is there for the Stars and Predators to both qualify and meet up in the Western Conference bracket at some point.

Now, obviously, this comes with a handful of requirements. For one, both clubs need to qualify. The Predators seem to be a lock after sitting in second in the Central division for the past few months. Meanwhile, the Stars’ current skid hasn’t hurt them as much as it could have, and they still sit in the first wild card spot with games in hand.

The potential is there for both clubs to punch their ticket to the postseason, but the standings could also play a part in determining if they meet up. The St. Louis Blues have won 11 games in a row and suffered their last loss one month ago. As a result, they sit in third place and would play the Predators in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today. The Stars, on the other hand, would draw the Jets in round one. That would mean the second round would be the earliest point at which Dallas and Nashville could collide, assuming both found a way to win their first series.

But, there are alternatives. The Dallas Stars could go on another surge at some point over the next month while the Blues could somehow cool off, leaving Dallas in a position to bounce back into third place and set themselves up for a quarterfinals showdown with the Predators. With 23 games left in the season, anything can happen (including the Stars slipping from the playoff race entirely).

If the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators do end up squaring off, though, it could be a series for the ages.

These two teams have built a mutual feeling of both respect and dislike for each other over the past few seasons. The Stars are 14-12-3 against Nashville since the 2013-14 season. The Predators boast a similar 15-10-4 record in the same span. The combined goal totals in those games? 87-84.

Tuesday night’s series finale summed it all up perfectly. The Predators jumped out to an early lead in the first period after a controversial no-call on Brian Boyle turned into a goal. In the second period, Jason Spezza pulled Dallas back to even with a goal to break his scoring drought. Nashville answered back a few minutes later, only to see the Stars score two goals in 26 seconds to take the 3-2 lead. Moments later, Filip Forsberg scored to quiet the crowd and even the game. And in the third period, an awkwardly off-balanced and off-speed shot by Roman Josi ended up being the decider. That’s a back-and-forth tilt of raw emotion right there.

And when a team gets to the postseason and the games take on a new level of meaning, everything from emotion, energy, and intensity increase by dramatic levels.

With the 2020 Winter Classic a little less than 11 months out, a playoff series between these two clubs could serve as a substantial powder keg. It could be another tank of gasoline on the flame.

There are still over six weeks left in the regular season and anything can happen. But if the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators end up squaring off in any round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it will likely be a seven-game throw down that no hockey fan will want to miss.