Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer was a bit concerned at the start of the season about how his team might feel after their long playoff run last May. But with only six games left before the playoffs, he’s feeling pretty confident about them.
The Stars have now won eight games in a row, a new record for the franchise. Jake Oettinger, their goalie, has had shutouts in the last two games. Currently, they’re leading the Western Conference standings with 105 points, just one behind the New York Rangers, who have the most points in the NHL. They’re playing well right now.
DeBoer said after their 5-0 win against Edmonton, “This is the right time. Forget about the wins and the winning streak, I like the detail in our game. I like how we’re playing for the most part, so that’s a good thing. Everyone wants to be doing that this time of year, and the wins are a byproduct of that.”
The team already has seven players who have scored 20 goals this season. Their captain Jamie Benn is close to making it a franchise-record eight after scoring his 19th goal against the Oilers. Wyatt Johnston, a 20-year-old in his second full season, became the first Stars player to reach 30 goals this season when he scored a goal coming out of the penalty box.
Radek Faksa, part of their fourth line, scored just 2:08 into the game against Edmonton. He also had two assists. A total of 10 different players from Dallas contributed points in that game. DeBoer also mentioned how their depth has been crucial. “It was 12 months ago, and everyone was describing us as a one-line team,” he said.
The Stars have now clinched a spot in the playoffs for the third consecutive year, which is their longest streak since the 2008 playoffs. They’ll be hoping to go far this time. Last year, they lost in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final to Las Vegas, who eventually won the Stanley Cup.
As for their current winning streak, it’s the first time in franchise history they’ve won eight games in a row. They’ve been really strong, especially on the road, where they’ve won their last seven games.
Oettinger, their goalie, has been exceptional, not allowing a goal in over 152 minutes of play. In their recent game against Edmonton, he stopped 35 shots, even though Edmonton has some top scorers.
