Few NHL teams record quality points on a consistent basis. The Dallas Stars are having one of those seasons where each game seems like a near-guaranteed win. Watching this powerhouse is a delight, thrilling fans with incredible play every game. Their recent stats are reaching ridiculous new heights in almost all fashions. This could very well end up as the year the Stars finally take it all. They and the Avalanche are the only teams with 40+ points, both having at least 47. Their performance is exceptional every night where these streaks are reaching incredible levels.
Special Teams
Power plays and penalty kills are massively critical to the success of any NHL team. At 32.3%, the Stars have the 2nd-best power play in the NHL, 0.1% behind Pittsburgh. Wyatt Johnston is the man on the power play. His 12 power play goals is best in the NHL, four goals ahead of anyone else. Mikko Rantanen’s 21 power play points are the most out of anyone, one ahead of Johnston’s 20. The Stars are money alongside their penalty kill as of late. Their 82.8% is 7th in the NHL, rising heavily after a slow start to the season. They have now killed 31 consecutive penalties. One part of their penalty killing is the performance from both goaltenders.
Brick Wall
Backup goaltenders play a pivotal role in the NHL. You have to rely on them to take the workload off the hands of the primary goalie. Casey DeSmith is lights out lately. Any road trip of two or more games involves DeSmith playing in half of them. Why not? DeSmith is 7-1-3 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA. Oettinger is still excellent, going 14-4-2 to start the season. Both goaltenders have shutouts and are paramount to the recent streak the Stars are on.
Going Streaking
The Stars are 14-1-2 over their last 17 games. They’ve lost only two games in regulation since late October. Their main rivals in the Colorado Avalanche are slightly ahead of the Stars’ 21-5-5 record. The Stars lost to the Blue Jackets on October 21st. Since then, they’ve only lost two games in regulation. Their last road game without a point in St. Louis on October 18th is a distant memory on this 13-game streak. They’ll put that to the test on Thursday, when Minnesota is next on the travel list. The Stars have a 10-point lead over the Wild where a win increases the difference between 2nd and 3rd to 12.
27 years without a championship is enough to make any team antsy. Their time will come for a Stanley Cup title. The Stars are a premier threat every night on the ice. Anything can happen with players like Jason Roberston, scoring 16 goals over the last 15 games. Rantanen completed his first 50 regular-season games with the team, recording 18 goals and 60 points. This Stars team is firing on all cylinders on this magical season so far.
Photo Credit: Fred Greenslade / Dallas Morning News / @DMN_Stars
Dallas Stars Nation Blogger. You can time how fast I skate with a calendar. Lifetime GAA about 12.50.
Tags: dallas stars Jason Robertson Mikko Rantanen nhl Roope Hintz
Categorized: Stars