The reasons the Stars are focused on the draft lottery and not the post-season are many and varied, but none might be as significant as their poor performance against the Central Division.
The NHL in 2013 shifted to a division-centric playoff format and pushed for new rivalries based on the redistricting. Dallas took advantage last season, tying for the best record in head-to-head play against the Central Division, and earning a great deal of confidence by dominating Chicago, Minnesota, Nashville and Winnipeg.
The Stars and Blues each had 19-7-3 marks within the division, and Dallas was able to push two points ahead at the end of the year based on a 5-0-1 run in its final six meetings with Central opponents.