With 44 games down and 38 games to go, the standings carry an incredible amount of weight for the Dallas Stars right now. Yes, you read that right.
The Stars are just a few games past the halfway point in their 2017-18 regular season schedule, and things are already piling up in the playoff race. There are plenty of teams bunched into the race for the two wild card spots in the Western Conference, and that leaves Dallas in a bit of a compromised position.
And when you’re in a position like that, losing your first game out of a bye week in a flat 4-1 affair isn’t the greatest aid.