The Dallas Stars are headed back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fifth straight season after clinching a berth last night, even as a home loss took a bit of the shine off the celebration. Fans at the American Airlines Center walked out with mixed emotions after a tight game that slipped away late, although the bigger picture is clear: Dallas is locked in for April hockey.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the Stars officially clinched their spot when the Utah Mammoth beat the Los Angeles Kings in overtime, a result that made Dallas the second team in the league to secure a playoff berth over the weekend. The Stars had an earlier chance to punch their own ticket on home ice but fell 3-2 in regulation to the Vegas Golden Knights, per the game's recap. CBS Sports notes that Reilly Smith's late third-period goal decided the contest.
Seeding still in play
With the postseason spot wrapped up, the next question in Dallas is all about seeding. The Stars still have room to climb in the Central Division during the final stretch of the regular season, and that could mean a more favorable matchup or home ice when the playoffs start.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan is in his first season behind the Stars bench after a summer hire, as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press. The franchise regular-season high of 114 points, set by the 1998-99 Stars, remains the gold standard for Dallas teams to chase in the spring. Wikipedia notes that the 114-point mark is the team record.
Sunday's game and what came next
Dallas squandered an opportunity to clinch on the ice when Vegas forward Reilly Smith scored with 3:38 left in regulation, turning a 2-2 game into a 3-2 Golden Knights win, according to the CBS Sports game recap. Wyatt Johnston scored for Dallas, and his tally gave him an NHL-leading 23 power-play goals this season, setting a franchise single-season mark on the man advantage, but the Stars still needed help from other results to lock up their spot.
With the playoff ticket now punched, the focus shifts to the remaining dozen games and the matchup math that will determine home-ice possibilities. For local fans, the script is familiar: the Stars are in again, but there is still plenty of reason to watch the next two weeks as the team chases seeding and tries to build momentum. Dallas returns to action at American Airlines Center with a short list of regular-season milestones and playoff positioning left to decide.
