The Dallas Stars are spending the weekend in Seattle as they will play two games in three days against the Kraken starting Saturday night. The Stars can officially clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Kraken and a St. Louis Blues’ loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
While the Kraken (31-36-6, 68 points) are one regulation loss away from playoff elimination, they have played better of late. Seattle is 5-3-2 in its last 10 and won 6-1 at home over Edmonton on Thursday.
“We’re pretty proud of what we’re putting out every night,” coach Dan Bylsma said Friday. “The guys compete and work and are playing for each other, and that bodes well for the future.”
Dallas (47-21-4, 98 points) won Thursday at Calgary 5-2 to extend its winning streak to four games and its points streak to seven (5-0-2).
After the game, Stars coach Pete DeBoer told reporters the team is not focusing on just making the playoffs but earning the best seed possible.
“It’s really important,” DeBoer said about earning as many wins as possible in Dallas’ final 10 regular-season contests. “We’re trying to hunt down Winnipeg and stay ahead of Colorado, and then the teams we’re playing are very desperate.”
Currently second in the Central Division, the Stars entered Friday five points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche (45-25-3, 93 points), who have one fewer game remaining on their schedule. Staying ahead of the Avs would guarantee the Stars home-ice advantage in the opening round of next month’s Stanley Cup playoffs, where they would most likely face Colorado. However, the Stars are also just four points behind the division-leading Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4, 102 points) and could catch them to earn home-ice through the Western Conference playoffs and possibly the Stanley Cup Final.
Dallas has been getting contributions from its top skaters during the current winning streak. Forward Jason Robertson has six points in his last four games, including a hat trick at Edmonton on Wednesday. Mikko Rantanen, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline three weeks ago, has eight points in 10 games since joining the club, including assists in each of the last three games. He also scored a goal in Calgary on March 27. Center Matt Duchene has notched at least a point in six of his last seven games (3 goals, 4 assists).
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger should make at least one start in the two games in Seattle. He last played in Wednesday’s 4-3 win at Edmonton, where he made a season-high 41 saves in edging the team that beat the Stars in last season’s Western Conference finals.
The Kraken may not be 100 percent healthy for the first game against Dallas. Center Chandler Stephenson missed Thursday’s win over Edmonton and has not played since March 19 due to an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old, who leads the team with 37 assists and is second with 48 points, is considered day-to-day.
Center Jaden Schwartz leads Seattle with 23 goals. He scored two in the win over Edmonton and has lit the lamp at least once in the team’s last three contests after going 10 games without one. Center Jared McCann leads the squad with 51 points and has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last five games, including a goal and a helper Thursday.
