The Dallas Stars could clinch a playoff berth simply by taking care of business in Vancouver Thursday against the Canucks.
After defeating the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on the road Tuesday night, the Dallas Stars (45-19-9, 99 points) reclaimed first place in the Central division by two points over the Colorado Avalanche. They also took over the top spot in the Western Conference by one point over the Vancouver Canucks (45-19-8, 98 points).
The timing couldn't be more perfect. The Stars could keep the top spot in the conference and guarantee themselves a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a win over the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
It won't be an easy task, to be sure, but it's a much simpler path than relying on other teams for help.
Vancouver leads the Pacific Division by eight points over the Edmonton Oilers and could also secure a playoff berth with a win Thursday. Their last game was a 3-2 home loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, snapping a three-game winning streak. They also lost center Elias Lindholm in that game due to an undisclosed injury, with no word as yet on his return. Lindholm has 41 points (14-27-41) through 71 games with the Canucks this season.
Thursday will mark the final meeting between the Stars and Canucks during the regular season. In their first meeting back on November 4, 2023, Vancouver posted a 2-0 shutout at Rogers Arena. Dallas got revenge with a 4-3 overtime win December 21 in Dallas. Both teams failed to record a goal on special teams in either of the two matchups. The Stars went 0-for-6 on the power play while the Canucks came up empty in eight chances.
Rogers Arena has been a tough place to play for the Stars the past several years. They've dropped their last four games in Vancouver. Their last road victory came on November 14, 2019, 4-2.
The Stars are riding a five-game winning streak and are second in the NHL with an average of 3.66 goals per game. They rank ninth in the NHL on the power play (23.4%) and 11th on the penalty kill (81.1%).
Seven different players have scored at least 20 goals this season, marking the first time in Dallas Stars history and the fifth time in franchise history that mark has been reached. Wyatt Johnston leads the way with 28, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz each have 26, Joe Pavelski 25, Matt Duchene 24, Tyler Seguin 22 and Mason Marchment has 20.
Brock Boeser leads the way for the Canucks with 37 goals. He also has 15 power play goals, a career high. J.T. Miller is second with 34 and leads the team in points with 91.
Things to Watch for:
- Stars captain Jamie Benn has scored goals in his last five games and points over his last seven.
- Defenseman Chris Tanev recorded 118 points (22-96-118) in 10 seasons with Vancouver. He has seven points, all assists, in 18 games against his former team.
- Dallas is seventh in the NHL with a 24.1 power play percentage on the road. The Canucks have not allowed a power play goal in five games, so something has to give.
- Vancouver has the best first period goal differential in the NHL at +39. They've also scored 16 goals within the first three minutes, tops in the league.
Projected Lines:
(These lines are unofficial).
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Marchment-Duchene-Seguin
Benn-Johnston-Stankoven
Smith-Faksa-Steel
Harley-Heiskanen
Lindell-Tanev
Suter-Lundkvist
Oettinger
Wedgewood
Should the Stars fail to pick up a win in Vancouver, they can still clinch a playoff spot Thursday if the following scenarios occur:
- If they pick up a point against the Canucks and if the St. Louis Blues lose to the Calgary Flames in any fashion.
- If the Minnesota Wild lose to the San Jose Sharks in any fashion and the Blues lose to the Flames in regulation.
Logan Stankoven will be playing his first NHL game in his home province. About 150 people will be making the 3.5-hour drive from his hometown of Kamloops, British Columbia, to see him in action. The Stars have also shipped 25 jerseys to his family and friends with "Stankoven" and his No. 11 on the back.
Puck drop against the Canucks is 9 Pm CT and the game can be seen on Bally Sports Southwest.
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