DALLAS — With the Stanley Cup Playoffs just weeks away, Dallas Stars fans are gearing up. They’re stocking up on gear, filling out bracket challenges, and anxiously refreshing the NHL standings. And for good reason — the Stars are making a serious push.
The Dallas Stars are second in the Western Central Division with 104 points. They defeated the Nashville Predators at the American Airlines Center 5-1 on Thursday night and are in the race to secure the top spot in the division.
But the road to this point hasn’t been an easy one. This Dallas Stars season has been an interesting one to follow. Last Saturday, on a road trip, the Stars punched their ticket to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. However, of the last four seasons, this year might be the most challenging when it comes to injuries on the Stars roster and the team’s ability to overcome obstacles.
On Dec. 4, the Dallas Stars announced that forward Tyler Seguin would undergo surgery on his left hip labrum to repair a femoral acetabular impingement and would be out for four to six months. Last Wednesday, Seguin returned to practice at Comerica Center in Frisco, slowly working toward a possible playoff comeback. Seguin sightings are becoming more frequent at practices and morning skates.
“Tyler is out with us but still has some big hurdles to clear,” said Head Coach Pete DeBoer, who is hopeful Seguin can join the team during the postseason.
Seguin started his season alongside Marchment and Duchene and was on pace to have a stellar season, already posting 9 goals and 11 assists despite dealing with his injury. The Stars were left looking at their forwards and how to fill the gap without having Tyler Seguin in the lineup.
On Dec. 27, Marchment took a puck to the face in a game against the Minnesota Wild, requiring facial surgery that kept him out for 17 games — another gap the Stars needed to fill without Seguin and Marchment.
Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, defenseman Miro Heiskanen suffered a brutal knee injury in a collision with Vegas’ Mark Stone on Jan. 28. Surgery followed, with an initial timeline of three to four months for recovery. The loss was a major blow.
“No one can do what he does,” said Stars Defenseman Esa Lindell on February 1 in their first game without Miro Heiskanen. “We hope we can improve a little bit, that way we can get better as a team.”
Last but not least, defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who played 39 games this season, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that would require surgery.
Despite a heavy amount of injuries to key Stars forwards and defensemen, several players have found ways to shine, leading the team to a sixth season with 50 wins dating back to the Minnesota North Stars days.
With Seguin out, Matt Duchene has stepped up in a big way. He has racked up 47 points since Seguin’s injury and sits second on the team in scoring with 77 points, trailing only Miko Rantanen (83).
“Duchy has been great for us all year,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “With the adversity that we’ve had with injuries, if he doesn’t play the way he’s played all year, we wouldn’t be in the spot we are in the standings.”
With Miro Heiskanen’s injury, the most notable step-up on the blue line has been none other than Thomas Harley, who leads all Dallas Stars defensemen in goals (15) for the second straight year.
Harley’s teammates have openly recognized how much of an impact he has made in the absence of Heiskanen.
“What everyone sees every day, he’s been awesome,” said Forward Wyatt Johnston. “Especially with Miro being out, he’s stepped up a lot. Just an awesome player, he’s really fun to watch.”
“He’s a special player,” said Stars Captain Jamie Benn.
With Heiskanen potentially returning for the playoffs, Harley remains locked in on the team’s ultimate goal.
“Winning games is obviously important, banking points is important. When the playoffs hit, we need to be playing our best hockey,” Harley said.
The Dallas Stars team has been finding ways to win despite injury setbacks all season long, putting them in a high position toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
