Stars Need Sense of Urgency in Playoffs
The Dallas Stars are guaranteed to play the Minnesota Wild in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
These final four games will determine who holds home-ice advantage, as the Wild trails the Stars by only two points.
Playoff hockey is one of the most exhilarating experiences, with ups and downs for however long they last. Many teams with no recent playoff history qualified or will qualify this season.
Some of these teams need to win the Stanley Cup more urgently than others.
We entered the 27th year since the Stars last won the Stanley Cup, but how close is time running out on them?
A New Playoffs
Say what you will about the Pacific Division this season, but the Edmonton Oilers are tied for 1st, possibly ending their 37-season division championship drought.
The Buffalo Sabers are ending the longest postseason drought in NHL history at 14 seasons. The Anaheim Ducks are likely heading that way, ending a 7-year drought. Detroit and Columbus are in the wild-card race, looking to end long absences. The Mammoth will likely make it, technically being their first postseason appearance in franchise history. One thing not changing is the Stars’ First Round opponent.
Urgency
Many recent Stanley Cup Champions will qualify for the playoffs. Out of the 16 teams currently in a playoff spot, 7 have won the Stanley Cup this century. Five of them have never won the Stanley Cup. The Stars will play one of those never-before-seen champions in the First Round.
The Minnesota Wild have lost eight consecutive First Round playoff series, dating back to their first time against the Stars in 2016. Teams are looking to win series, with the Stars looking for more. This is the 27th year since the early-morning hours of Game 6 in Buffalo in 1999. This franchise has set up the foundation for a deep playoff run over the past several years. Three consecutive Western Conference Final losses dampened their plans.
How much longer will the Stars’ championship window remain open?
Jamie Benn is nearing retirement, while Jason Robertson is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. An early playoff exit is absolutely out of the question regarding franchise morale.
First Two Rounds
If the Stars are going to win the Stanley Cup this year, their path is far from easy. Minnesota is creeping up on the Stars, two points behind with four games remaining. Home ice advantage is an important factor in this upcoming series. Getting through Minnesota is not an easy task; more awaits beyond. Colorado is expecting a deep playoff run, facing the Predators or the 19-regulation win Kings. The Sharks may make an ending run as well. No path is easy, especially through the Wild and the conference-clinching Avalanche. The central division teams are looking to do damage in these playoffs.
Time is by no means running out on the Stars, however, 27 years is a long time without the Stanley Cup. This team is expected to win the 2nd Stanley Cup in franchise history, dating back to 1967. The Stars and the Blues are the only 1967 expansion teams not to win multiple Stanley Cups. There will come a day when Stars fans see the boys in victory green hoist the Stanley Cup, but we just don’t want that day to happen in 2035.
The Stars have been contenders over the last several years, reaching the Western Conference Final four times in the last six years.
The pressure is on for this team to emerge victorious out of the upcoming gauntlet.
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