Stanley Cup Playoffs: 3 dark horse candidates from the Western Conference
2. Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars quietly had a pretty great season. It didn’t start off well for them, as they started the season with a 1-7-1 record. But the Stars have since turned their season around, emerging with the fourth-best point percentage in the Western Conference. That ensures them of a play-in round bye.
Now, much like the Canucks, the Stars have flaws. They struggle to score and rely quite heavily on their defense. The Stars ranked second-to-last in the NHL in 5v5 scoring with just 108 goals. Only the abysmal Detroit Red Wings scored fewer 5v5 goals than them. The Stars power play was above average, but it wasn’t top 10.
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However, the Stars do have a few things going for them. First of all, they have an above-average defense. The Stars blueline allowed the 12th fewest high danger chances per hour at 5v5. There’s also their goaltending, which is outstanding. A good argument could be had that the Stars have the best tandem in the NHL with Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin (though the Boston Bruins certainly have a strong case as well).
If you’re into analytics, the Stars possession numbers, especially their 5v5 expected goals for percentage, are encouraging. This suggests their low scoring could be due to bad luck and they might be on the verge of breaking out. But even if they don’t, between Bishop and Khudobin, they’ve got the goaltending necessary to make a Stanley Cup run.
Also, remember, this is the same team that pushed the St. Louis Blues to two overtimes in Game 7 of the second round in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’re quite capable of making a Stanley Cup run, even if their success this season has gone a bit under the radar.