Dallas Stars clinch Western Conference title

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Dallas Stars have clinched the Western Conference title following their 2-1 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues.

The Stars close out the 2023-24 regular season with a 52-21-9 record and 113 points through 82 games.

Dallas battled hard all season and held the top spot in the Central Division for 80 days. Dallas put themselves over the past week, securing home ice in the first two rounds and locking in a Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets first-round series below them.

The Stars have been led this season by Jason Robertson who has tallied 29 goals and 51 assists for 80 points in 82 games. Dallas has seen a total of eight players reach the 20-goal threshold this season including Robertson, Mason Marchment, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and 21-year-old Wyatt Johnston who leads the Stars with 32 goals. Johnston has tallied 65 points in 81 games and has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat for the Stars.

They rank third in goals for per game with 3.63 and 10th in goals against per game with 2.88. Jake Oettinger has re-found his game after missing time with an injury and sits among the elite netminders of the NHL. 

Dallas has also relied heavily on defenseman Miro Heiskanen who has battled injuries this season and took a dip in the stats column but has notched 45 assists and 54 points in 71 games. The Stars added to their defensive core at the trade deadline by acquiring Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. Rookie Logan Stankoven made his name known with the club, the Kamloops, British Columbia product has tallied six goals and 14 points in 24 games and will look to get reps in the playoffs.

The Stars now get ready to face off against either the Los Angeles Kings or Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.