The Stars had reason to celebrate on New Year's Eve.
They were the highest-scoring and best team in hockey, having blasted the Nashville Predators 5-1 that night to improve to 28-9-2 for an NHL-best 59 points. The Stars led the NHL with 137 goals, 20 more than anyone else, and appeared to have finally regained that Stanley Cup swagger that had been missing for 15 years.
As the offense goes, so go the Stars. They slapped six goals on Winnipeg, Carolina, Montreal and Minnesota in victories before the first of the year. They rang up five goals against Tampa Bay, San Jose, Boston, Columbus and Nashville in victories.