If the Dallas Stars hope to win another Stanley Cup, playing well on the road will be a crucial component.

The Dallas Stars may not have been the last team standing in their quest for a Stanley Cup in 2022-23, but they had their share of accomplishments to give them cause for optimism heading into this season.

The Stars posted 108 points during the regular season (47-21-14), their highest point total since the 2015-16 campaign. They advanced to the Western Conference Final before bowing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

General manager Jim Nill brought in a number of new faces, including coach Pete DeBoer. Nill made some important additions leading up to the trade deadline: Nils Lundquist, Ty Domi and Evgenii Dadonov. He extended the contracts of Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson, and signed Roope Hintz to an eight-year contract extension.

There's another important element that played a role in the Stars' deep postseason run: their exemplary play on the road.

Numbers Don't Lie

Dallas finished the regular season with a 25-11-5 road record, and their .671 road points percentage was the best in franchise history. They finished second in the NHL in road power-play percentage (27.8) and fifth overall (25.0).

That road success has carried over to this season. Through 51 games, Dallas boasts a 15-6-4 mark away from American Airlines Center. Prior to the Toronto game, the Stars were slightly better on the power-play away from home (24.6%) than at home (20.5%).

Since coach Pete DeBoer took over last season, the Stars' road record is 40-17-9, and they've only lost two in a row away from home four times since DeBoer has been behind the bench.

Quite a contrast from the 2021-22 season when the road record was 19-20-2.

The Story Beyond the Stats

So what's the secret to thriving in enemy territory?

"We have four lines and our team game has been really solid," DeBoer told reporters prior to Wednesday's 5-4 loss in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. "You throw two good goaltenders in there, good special teams, (it) gives us a chance to win every night. We've got a veteran group. I think they understand the momentum points of the game and how to manage that in order to win on the road in tough buildings. We've done it all year."

There have been bumps, of course. In their loss at Toronto, the Stars had a 76-54 advantage in shot attempts, but stumbled in penalty-killing. The Maple Leafs converted all three of their power-play opportunities and scored two goals in the span of 20 seconds in the third period after Dadonov had tied the game on a penalty shot.

Even in their win in Buffalo against the Sabres, the offense looked sluggish, managing just 30 shots on goal. Goalie Jake Oettinger played the game of his life, stopping a career-high 48 shots with 47 saves, also a career best.

On their last road trip before the All-Star break, Dallas went 2-1-1, but that one loss came in Philadelphia, where the Flyers sailed to a 5-1 victory. The Stars went nearly 30 minutes without a shot on goal and only 15 the entire game.

A Tough Stretch

Up to now, those losses have been rare. But the Stars won't get much home cooking in February, with 9 of their 13 games on the road. Those matchups include back-to-back games at Boston and the New York Rangers, plus Carolina and Central Division foe Colorado.

A lot can certainly go wrong between now and the start of the postseason. Many teams have crumbled under the grind of an 82-game campaign. The Stars understand this as well as anyone, but they're professionals. Players don't have the same distractions on the road as opposed to home, forcing them to be more disciplined in their routines.

"A lot of teams fall into the trap at home of maybe trying to put on a show," DeBoer said before the Buffalo game. "You want to get into it, you want to score goals. A lot of times, your wife and kids and everybody are there. You're trying to do a little extra. On the road, it's a lot easier to simplify your game."

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