The Dallas Stars fell to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night and have now fallen to the third seed in the Western Conference standings.
The Stars are currently in third place in the Western Conference with an overall record of 50-25-6, meaning the team has secured a total of 106 points for the standings.
Despite the solid season, Dallas has fallen in the standings and now trails the Vegas Golden Knights, who have a record of 49-22-9 and 107 points.
Dallas has just one game remaining in the season and must win to reclaim the second seed, though one victory by the Golden Knights in their final two games will end the Stars’ hopes of moving back up.
The Stars’ loss to Detroit means the team has lost six games in a row and only received points in two of these matchups.
One of the biggest concerns for the Stars leading into the playoffs is the timing in which goals are being surrendered. The vast majority of opponents’ goals came in the third period during the current losing streak.
Over the last six games, the Stars have allowed 20 goals in the third period while only allowing nine goals in the first two periods combined, indicating a concerning trend heading into the playoffs.
Stars Coach Pete DeBoer said the team has to “play 60 minutes” and stay prepared for all portions of the game.
“But right now, it’s about Saturday night. You make choices at this time of year. Do you dress your lineup and win games or do you rest guys and be prepared for Saturday? We’ve obviously chosen the latter,” he explained, per NHL.com.
Dallas will now look to bounce back following the struggles with a matchup against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.