The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs are less than four weeks away from kicking off. With that being said, the Dallas Stars are right in the middle of the fight. Here’s how their chances look on the afternoon of March 14.
The Dallas Stars have a really good chance at being a player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. But, you’ve heard that before, haven’t you?
Just one year ago today, the Stars were stuck in the middle of a six-game road trip that played a critical role in their playoff hopes. The trip wasn’t necessarily a daunting one (only four of the six opponents were playoff contenders), but Dallas struggled altogether.
They ended the trip on a winless note, going 0-4-2 and removing themselves from the playoff picture entirely. As they continued to implode down the final stretch of March, the hopes of returning to the postseason quickly became a distant memory.
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But this time around could be different. This time around should be different.
At the moment, the Dallas Stars are in a decent spot. They are 36-28-5 with 77 points through 69 games. They sit in sole control of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and are two points out of third place in the Central division.
The race is tight, but the Stars are holding their own. Dallas has won five of its past six contests and six of its past eight. That includes a dominant 4-0 victory over Colorado that further fended the Avalanche off from the wild card race and an impressive 2-0 win over Buffalo that pushed the Stars within one game of third place.
But as things continue to unravel and the race gets tighter and tighter, it’s important to keep a realistic perspective. The Dallas Stars aren’t a guarantee in the Stanley Cup Playoffs just yet. In fact, there is still plenty of time for things to wrongly with 13 games to go in the regular season slate. The playoffs don’t start until April 9.
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However, all signs seem to be pointing to a Stars’ return to the postseason right now. They are heating up at the right time of the year, sticking to their game plan, and picking up valuable points while keeping an upper hand on the others in the race. That’s not only helping their playoff standing, but it’s also helping their odds.
As of Thursday morning, the Dallas Stars own some pretty reliable odds to qualify for a playoff spot. And while different sites end up with different calculations, each of their numbers is impressive and, for the most part, comforting. Let’s take a look at some of the Stars’ odds as of March 14, 2019.
The Athletic – 85 percent chance to make the playoffs, 30 percent chance to advance to the second round, 11 percent chance to advance to third round, 4 percent chance to advance to Stanley Cup Final, 1 percent chance to win Stanley Cup
Hockey Reference – 87.7 percent chance to make the playoffs, 46.7 percent chance to finish in the wild card, 3.3 percent chance to win Central division, 6.6 percent chance to advance to Stanley Cup Final, 1.7 percent chance to win Stanley Cup
Sports Club Stats – 86.5 percent chance to make the playoffs, 1 percent chance to win Stanley Cup
Money Puck – 80.7 percent chance to make playoffs, 30.1 percent chance to advance to second round, 11.3 percent chance to advance to third round, 4 percent chance to advance to Stanley Cup Final, 1.6 percent chance to win Stanley Cup
As you go down the line, the odds look substantially favorable for the Dallas Stars. Each chance of making the playoffs is above 80 percent while the teams below Dallas are struggling to keep their numbers above 40 percent.
That is primarily due to the Stars’ recent surge throughout the month of March, including a hot stretch from goaltender Ben Bishop and winning important games against other playoff challengers.
But the race is far from over. With almost four weeks left to go, there’s no room for complacency. Things look better for the Dallas Stars’ playoff hopes with each passing day, but the standings are still airtight.
As of right now, the Stars sit in the first wild card spot with 77 points. Trailing close behind is the Arizona Coyotes with 75, followed by the Minnesota Wild with 74, the Colorado Avalanche with 72, and the Chicago Blackhawks with 71. That’s six points separating the first wild card spot from 11th place.
With that being said, there’s no room for error.
The Dallas Stars are back in action tonight as they wrap up a quick road trip by paying a visit to the Minnesota Wild. It’s another game with large implications, with Minnesota having an opportunity to jump within a point of Dallas with a win in regulation. On the other hand, the Stars could further push the Wild down the pipe with a win of their own.
The time to watch the standings on a daily (maybe even hourly) basis is here in the 2018-19 NHL regular season. Right now, the Dallas Stars look to be in a solid spot.
All they have to do now is continue controlling their own destiny.