Dallas sports have gone through a lot of heartbreak over the years. Teams have had amazing seasons and just fall flat when winning the game matters. Just look at the Dallas Mavericks last season when they took on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. However, the Mavericks went up against one of the best all-around teams the league. However, the Texas Rangers ended up in second place in the American League West and went all the way to win the World Series that year.
The Rangers had a perfect road record during that run, earning them the Road Warriors title. One thing that stands out is that the Rangers had a horrible stretch of losses heading into the playoffs. After losing their third-straight game last night, the Stars look like they won't be winning the Central Division this season with the way they are playing right now. Congrats to the Winnipeg Jets on taking the title from the Dallas Stars this season.
The Rangers began by taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Wildcard and won in two games. They then took on the #1 Seed Baltimore Orioles in the American League Division Series and eliminated them in three games. They beat the Houston Astros in seven games in the ALCS to advance to the World Series. The Rangers would then take on the Arizona Diamondbacks and win the World Series in five games.
Could the Stars have a fate similar to the Texas Rangers in 2023? It's possible that the Stars and the Texas Rangers could have a similar fate, but the Stars have to clean up their defensive mistakes. You can't be making those if you want to win the Stanley Cup. You have to win games with some of the cleanest hockey a team has played all season. It could be a short exit for the Stars if they play like they did tonight.
Casey DeSmith even needs to clean up his game heading into the playoffs. If Jake Oettinger were to get hurt during the game, they would need him to fill in for the remainder of the game. I hope Pete DeBoer decides to let him think about his performance last night.
Oettinger deserves to play the remainder of the four games before the playoffs because Colorado will be a beast. They are entirely healthy compared to the Dallas Stars. The Stars should get Tyler Seguin back before the playoffs begin. However, Miro Heiskanen's availability is still cloudy. The Stars could still get to the Stanley Cup Finals and win it all. The team must fix their mistakes and stop looking ahead to the prize at the end of the road.