Dallas Stars: Rough Homestand Provides Reality Check In Playoff Hunt

The opportunity was there, but the Dallas Stars simply couldn’t capitalize. And after ending their long homestand on a disappointing note, there’s a harsh reality that they must once again realize and fight through as the end of the season approaches.

It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that the Dallas Stars owned one of the best home ice records in the NHL. That’s probably because it wasn’t.

A little over two weeks ago, the Stars were 21-10-2 when playing at the American Airlines Center this season. They had won three of their past four home games, including big victories against Colorado and St. Louis that greatly boosted their playoff odds.

But on March 9, things took a turn for the not-so-dominant. In the past 16 days, Dallas is 1-4-1 when playing at the AAC. They have dropped important games to struggling opponents and have missed out on valuable points against Central division and Western Conference foes.

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All of the dysfunction came to a climax during the recent five-game homestand that wrapped up on Saturday night. With the emotional boost of home ice seemingly on their side and a successful two-game road trip preceding the stand, everything seemed to be on the Stars’ side. As a result, a push to the playoffs looked more and more favorable for Dallas with only 12 games remaining in the 2018-19 regular season.

But things didn’t necessarily pan out that way.

The Stars started the stand with a gritty but disappointing 2-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was the second night of a back-to-back and Roope Hintz continued his scoring streak, but Dallas couldn’t get it done late in the game. No biggie.

Then came Sunday night and a 3-2 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. After falling behind 2-0, Dallas clawed back in the final 21 minutes of regulation to tie the game up. But even so, dropping an extra point to the third-worst team in the Western Conference standings didn’t necessarily bring any added satisfaction.

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Tuesday night was a bounce back night as the Dallas Stars knocked off the Florida Panthers 4-2. Though they started out slow, the trio of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov reconnected midway through the game and combined for three goals and ten points on the way to a win. Getting back in the win column against a struggling opponent was both critical and impressive.

Colorado visited the AAC on Thursday night with their playoff hopes dwindling and desperately needed a victory. And through a 44-save effort by Philipp Grubauer, they secured a 3-1 win against a frustrated Dallas Stars team that just couldn’t find the back of the net.

Saturday night wrapped the disappointing homestand up in a discouraging bow as the Dallas Stars dropped a 3-2 final to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Though the Stars had two different comeback attempts, they never secured a lead and ended up losing on a shorthanded goal against.

And just like that, a 1-3-1 homestand has Dallas still stuck in the thick of the playoff race. And while it didn’t necessarily cripple their hopes of qualifying for the postseason (they still sit at 88 percent, according to The Athletic), it didn’t help.

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This is the time of year where every hockey fan wants to play the “what if” game. There’s a reason for that. The reason is that the “what if” game always results in the best scenario.

What if the Stars had found a way to rally against Vegas and Colorado? What if they had finished the homestand 3-1-1 and picked up seven points instead of three? They would be sitting at 86 points, have just two points separating them from third place in the Central, and would be seven points from the wild card wall. Their odds of making the playoffs would also probably be north of 96 or 97 percent.

But that didn’t happen. The “what if” game can be fun, but it can also make reality that much more difficult to bear.

And now, the Dallas Stars have a reality check that they must face. That reality is that the playoff race is far from over. With seven games to go, there is still a lot of ground that must be picked up. The homestand was a golden opportunity to gain that ground, but the Stars couldn’t move forward.

This reality check also forces a painful reminder from the past into focus. Around one year ago, the Stars sat in third place in the Central with less than one month to go in the regular season and still found a way to miss the playoffs. That was largely due to an 0-6-2 skid through the middle of March that booted Dallas from the picture and left them trying to catch up in the rest of the regular season.

Players, coaches, and fans probably can’t help but think of last year’s meltdown at this point in the year. Sure, the Stars still sit in a playoff spot with less than two weeks left in the regular season. But after losing four of their last five games and with seven games left on the calendar, there’s plenty of room for a potential collapse.

And that’s where the Dallas Stars have to learn. A disappointing homestand reminded them of last year’s shortcomings. It also reminded them that this year could end in a similar fashion if they don’t right the ship quickly.

Just seven games separate the Stars from the end of their regular season campaign. If they win all seven, they’re in. If they win 4-6, their odds still look really good. Anything less than that, though, and things get a little more tricky and interesting.

The homestand was a disappointing one, but it’s in the past now. All that the Dallas Stars can do is turn the page and look ahead to the next game, which just happens to be tonight in Winnipeg.

The final month of the regular season is a time for perseverance, but it’s also a time for reflection. A rough homestand gave the Stars a quick and painful reminder about their recent history. Now, they have to find a way to use that as fuel in their final push.