Stars shape their own playoff destiny, and the chase is about more than sneaking in – The Athletic

Things change quickly in the NHL. It wasn’t long ago that the optimistic outcome for the Stars was being the last team to sneak into the playoffs of the hard-fought Western Conference. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, expectations have shifted. Repelling Vegas or Los Angeles remains Dallas’ top priority, but the conversation doesn’t end there.

The Central Division is arguably the toughest in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche are in a close race with the Florida Panthers for the President’s Trophy, with the Avs holding a two-point lead. It’s possible that Central has the top team in the league, and it could be the only division in the NHL this season to send five teams into the postseason.

Because of this, it’s important for the Stars to avoid this bracket by ending up in the best wild card spot.

The way things are going in the West, the eighth-best team in terms of points can be the third-placed team in the Pacific Division, whether it’s the Golden Knights or the Kings or Vancouver if you think Canucks is still a Dark -Horse candidate. Both teams are currently in line for the two wildcard spots, the Stars and the