DALLAS — The Dallas Stars officially clinched a playoff berth on Sunday evening after the Utah Mammoth defeated the Los Angeles Kings. With the berth secured, Dallas will make its fifth consecutive postseason appearance, this time under head coach Glen Gulutzan.
Through 70 games, the Stars now have 12 remaining in the regular season, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs set to begin on April 18.
Although coming off a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Gulutzan emphasized the team’s mental resilience despite the result.
“I liked our third, so that says a lot,” Gulutzan said. “There’s a lot of emotional hockey we’ve played. I thought we fought back in the third after they outplayed us in the second. You can see a little bit of our offense is drying up, just what we’re generating. We survived this stretch with some guys out and some key offensive guys missing. We’ve played really hard, and at some point, you’re going to have a little bit of a lull or a dip. That’s a natural part of the season. You can see the last few games, we just have not generated the same amount as we were for a while, and that’s part of the ebbs and flows, but we’ve got to find it quickly here.”
Wyatt Johnston also made history during the game, recording his 23rd power-play goal of the season to set a new franchise record. The mark breaks Dino Ciccarelli’s previous record of 22, set during the 1986–87 season.
“It’s cool. It’s pretty cool,” Johnston said. “I mean for me, just trying to do what I can to help the team. Obviously, the guys out there have been so good at finding me in the middle or wherever it may be, just like on that goal there. Great play by Dutch [Duchene] and kind of everyone. Just open them up and find those holes.” Johnston’s goal was also his 38th of the season, tying Jason Robertson for the team lead.
The Stars return to action Tuesday evening when they host the New Jersey Devils for Pride Night at American Airlines Center.
