2014-2015 Dallas Stars Schedule Released

The 2014-2015 NHL schedule is here. The Dallas Stars open their second campaign under Lindy Ruff October 9th and home against the Chicago Blackhawks- So you now have plans for 109 days from now. Tell your wife or whatever.

The league has once again maximized its exposure by releasing its schedule...on a Sunday... and hour before USA vs Portugal at the 2014 World Cup in Brasil... but we digress. It's a happy day for all of us who build our schedules around home stands, road trips and breaks.

Time to plan away...

First time through I counted 11 or 12 b2b's, but I haven't had time to settle it yet and really dig into it. Five of their first eight are on the road. November is a big home-month. They get the Ducks on Halloween for their first post-post-season matchup. The Coyotes will be the victim on New Years Eve.

They finished with a tough six-of-nine stretch on the road, and if fate and the schedule makers have colluded as wonderfully as they did last season, then it might be the Nashville Predators with whom the Stars are battling down the stretch this time.

Three trips to Chicago this time. Twice to St. Louis. Only once at Staples Center for the Kings.

More analysis to come...

From the Stars:

The Stars schedule breaks down in the following format:

vs. Division Opponents (29 Games):
Five games vs. five teams (2 home/3 away) vs. Chicago, Colorado and Nashville; (3 home/2 away) vs. Minnesota and St. Louis.
Four games vs. one team (2 home/2 away) with teams rotated on a yearly basis (Winnipeg this season).

vs. Western Conference Opponents (non-division, 21 Games):
The Stars will play their other non-division Western Conference opponents 21 times (Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver), facing off against each club three times (2 home/1 away vs. three teams; 1 home/2 away vs. four teams).

In total, Dallas plays 50 games against their Western Conference foes.

And here's the entire thing: