The Dallas Stars have just 10 games remaining in the regular season and an opportunity to move into the top spot of the Western Conference standings.
Dallas is currently sitting in second place with a record of 47-21 and 94 points, but the team trails the Winnipeg Jets in the standings by just four points entering the final stretch of the regular season.
Dallas has a record of 5-0-2 in its last seven games despite dealing with multiple injuries and sloppy gameplay. The team has scored 12 points to maintain its position in the standings.
The Stars’ most recent win came against the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. Dallas struggled for portions of the game but won due to quality opportunities.
“When you look at the schedule the last week, and the travel, and this game, there’s not many teams that come in and grind out a win,” said Stars Coach Pete DeBoer, per NHL.com.
“We did that, and our guys deserve credit for that.”
Deboer added that this team does not need to play fast-paced to win games and that the most important aspect for this team is managing the gameplay and getting good opportunities close to the net.
“They don’t need a lot of looks. We’re not a team that slings pucks from everywhere on the ice, so if you just look at the shot clock, I think you would be making a mistake. We look for quality and when our guys get quality looks they finish,” he explained, per NHL.com.
Although Dallas has a chance to move up in the standings, a stretch of bad games could also cause the team to fall in the Western Conference standings.
Dallas is currently just four points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and five points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche, meaning the team could fall to fourth in the standings if it begins to struggle.
The Stars will look to keep their momentum with two straight matchups against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and Monday, March 31, before returning to American Airlines Center for a two-game homestand beginning on April 3.