Whenever I think about the Dallas Stars and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I cannot help but think back to their 2014 run.
The Stars had been stuck in a five-year postseason drought going into the 2013-14 season. With Jim Nill taking his spot as the new general manager and making a major offseason splash and Lindy Ruff being hired as the newest head coach, Dallas braced for a year of cautious excitement.
And though it took 81 games, the Stars got it done. Through a year of ups and downs that helped kickstart a new era of Dallas Stars hockey, the Stars clinched the second Western Conference wild card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.