What was meant to be a high-stakes clash for the No. 1 seed, the Central Division crown, and even the Presidents’ Trophy lost some of its shine after the Stars’ stunning collapse on Tuesday.
Dallas will host the first-place Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at the AAC, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. on Victory+. The Stars are still reeling from a brutal 6-5 overtime loss to Vancouver, in which they surrendered three goals in the final minute of regulation before falling in OT.
There’s still a path to the top, but it’s a narrow one. The Stars likely need to win out – and hope the Jets stumble elsewhere. That makes Thursday’s clash a must-win for Dallas.
On Tuesday, the Stars jumped out to a 3-0 lead by scoring three times on the power play before the Canuck’s five-goal third period forced overtime, where Kiefer Sherwood’s goal capped the comeback. The Canucks became the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation.
The loss dealt a blow to the Stars hopes of catching the Jets for the top spot in the Western Conference. With just four games remaining in the regular season for both teams, Dallas trails Winnipeg by four points in the standings.
What’s really on the line?
Avoiding Colorado in the first round. The No. 2 seed draws a dangerous Avalanche club, led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The top seed, meanwhile, gets the second wild card team – a far more favorable matchup.
With the wonky NHL playoff seedings, the Stars-Avalanche matchup would be the NBA equivalent of a No. 2 seed playing the No. 4 seed in the first round. That’s makes no sense.
Stars’ scorching hot power play
No team has scored more power play goals (22) than the Stars since the 4 Nations break in February. Both units are contributing. On Tuesday, the second unit notched a pair of power play goals from Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene – both set up on feeds by Jamie Benn. The top unit also contributed in the first period with a power play goal from Mikko Rantanen.
Capitalizing on the power play will be key against Winnipeg – a team that controlled the last meeting in March, handing Dallas a 4-1 loss.
Players to watch
Stars forward Mavrik Borque
Bourque scored a goal on three shots in Tuesday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks. His goal, which gave the Stars a 4-2 lead late in the third, seemed to ice the game before they added an empty-netter prior to their dramatic collapse. The 23-year-old rookie ended an eight-game goal drought. Bourque has primarily played a middle-six role, though his lack of power-play time has limited his offensive opportunities. Through 69 games, he’s posted 11 goals and 14 assists.
Stars forward Matt Duchene
Duchene’s second-period goal against Vancouver pushed him to 30 goals and 80 points on the season, and he also picked up an assist on Mikael Granlund’s empty-netter. The 34-year-old has now hit the 80-point mark twice in his career, both times in the last four years. Of his 81 points, 27 have come on the power play.
Jets forward Kyle Connor
Connor notched a pair of goals and an assist against the Stars in their previous meeting on March 14 – a game the Jets dominated from start to finish. Connor remains a key driver of the Jets’ offense, playing a pivotal role on the top line and first power-play unit. The winger has now reached 92 points, just one shy of his career high.
Dallas Stars Lineup
Jason Robertson (21) – Roope Hintz (24) – Mikko Rantanen (96)
Mason Marchment (27) – Matt Duchene (95) – Mikael Granlund (64)
Jamie Benn (14) – Wyatt Johnston (53) – Mavrik Bourque (22)
Oskar Bäck (10) – Sam Steel (18) – Evgenii Dadonov (63)
Thomas Harley (55) – Ilya Lyubushkin (46)
Esa Lindell (23) – Cody Ceci (44)
Lian Bichsel (6) – Matt Dumba (46)
Jake Oettinger (29)
Casey DeSmith (1)
Winnipeg Jets Lineup
Kyle Connor (81) – Mark Scheifele (55) – Alex Iafallo (9)
Nino Niederreiter (62) – Vladislav Namestnikov (7) – Cole Perfetti (91)
Brandon Tanev (73) – Adam Lowry (17) – Mason Appleton (22)
David Gustafsson (19) – Morgan Barron (36) – Jaret Anderson-Dolan (28)
Josh Morrissey (44) – Dylan DeMelo (2)
Dylan Samberg (54) – Neal Pionk (4)
Logan Stanley (64) – Haydn Fleury (24)
Connor Hellebuyck (37)
Eric Comrie (28)