The Dallas Stars have the talent, drive, coaching and goaltending to go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and possibly win it this season. What they don't have is an easy route to the title.
The concentration of talent in the NHL's Central Division of the Western Conference is more impressive than any division in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche are the likely Presidents Trophy winners even though they suffered an inexplicable 8-6 Wednesday night home loss to the Vancouver Canucks. They have built a 49-15-10 record for 108 points.
That gives them a six-point lead over the Stars, who have a 45-19-12 record for 102 points. The third-place Minnesota Wild are one of the most dynamic and exciting teams in the league with a 42-21-12 record for 96 points. The Wild have had some struggles in recent weeks, but Minnesota has demonstrated that they are capable of playing with the best teams in the NHL.
All three teams have already clinched playoff positions, and while the Avs are going to start the playoffs against the No. 2 Wild Card team — likely the San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators or Los Angeles Kings — the Stars and Wild have to battle each other. That means one of the strongest teams in the league will be eliminated in the first round. The winner of that series will have to compete against the Avs, unless they suffer a shocking defeat to the lowest seed in the conference.
Talented Stars have to face the league's toughest playoff path
Dallas head coach Glen Gulutzan may not like the league's playoff format, but there's little that he can do about it. If the format ever changes, it's certainly not going to be in the immediate future.
The Stars have been a playoff participant in each of the last four seasons and have reached the Western Conference Finals in the last three seasons. They are one of the league's elite teams, and they would like to demonstrate it this season by playing for the Stanley Cup. If they do, they will earn it. The Stars and the Wild appear to have the most difficult paths to the championship as any teams in commissioner Gary Bettman's league.
The Stars have excellent depth among their forwards with left wing Jason Robertson and center Wyatt Johnston leading the way. The 26-year-old Robertson has scored 40 goals and 49 assists to lead the team in scoring, and he gets the job done with his creativity in the offensive zone as well as his accurate shot.
The 22-year-old Wyatt Johnston is on his way to becoming a dominant superstar. He has scored 41 goals and 80 points, and he is the best power-play weapon in the league. He has scored 25 of his goals with the man advantage and he is particularly adept when he is in tight and needs to get the puck to the top shelf.
Mikko Rantanen is a proven playoff performer who has missed 18 games this season. He has been held to 21 goals but he does have 73 points. Miro Heiskanen is one of the top offensive defensemen in the league with 62 points. The Stars also depend on Roope Hintz with 44 points, Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn and defenseman Thomas Harley.
The Stars will need all their weapons firing against the Wild. While Minnesota is 4-5-1 in its last 10 games, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and elusive defenseman Quinn Hughes are capable of going on a hot streak and filling the net. There is little doubt that Stars goalie Jake Oettinger will be tested severely by the talented Wild.
Reward for advancing is a likely date with Avs
The Avalanche started the season as if they would challenge the NHL's all-time record for wins and points in the regular season as they lost just two games in regulation through the first three months of the season. While they have not continued on that pace, the Avs are formidable.
Nathan MacKinnon is perhaps the most explosive player in the league, and he teams with Marty Necas and Cale Makar. The Avs have the most dangerous offensive team in the league and the addition of Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flames in a trade deadline move has improved the team's power play. The Stars have an impressive 2-0-1 record against the Avs, but they will need to raise their level to beat Colorado in a best-of-7 series.
It doesn't end there for the Stars. The Western Conference Finals may involve another meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. That team has defeated Dallas in the Western finals each of the last two years. The Oilers have played in fits and starts most of the season, but they are currently playing their best hockey with five consecutive victories as they prepare for their Saturday night home game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers are currently in second place behind the Anaheim Ducks, but it would be a surprise if that upstart team can survive its first two rounds and play in the Western finals. The Stars would certainly welcome that development, but it is not likely.
The Stars will have a brutal road to postseason success this season. They will have to raise their level of play to get by a potential gauntlet of the Wild, Avalanche and Oilers in an effort to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
