Can Dallas come out of the west ?

[Little Psycho]

As a Kings fan, the Stars are the last team I want to face.

 

[Three On Zero]

The West is pretty open, you won’t be able to call any matchup an “upset”, the conference is full of middling teams with Colorado being the only true “contender”

 

[catters078]

Dallas can win the West if they avoid Colorado round 1 and someone else beats them.

Think the Stars shrink a bit vs the Avs, but can best anyone else.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Too soft. Talent is incredible but way too soft of a team.

We've seen time and time again grit matters and I think they gonna get bullied in the playoffs against bigger and more physical teams

Were you commenting about the Leafs or Dallas? Soft? Really?

7th heaviest team in the league and 13th in height. I don't really see a small team here.

 

[HanSolo]

Dallas is deep af. If they get 2022 Playoffs Oettinger everyone else is f***ed

Don't remind me.

 

[Czechboy]

West is brutal. I wouldn't consider any victory an upset. Seedings don't really matter. So yes, Dallas could make it out 100% So could Edmonton. So could Vancouver. So could Las Vegas. So could the Jet's. So could the Avalanche. Round 1 should be absolutely glorious!

 

[OVO16]

Were you commenting about the Leafs or Dallas? Soft? Really?

7th heaviest team in the league and 13th in height. I don't really see a small team here.

No need to get sensitive. Leafs were 100% soft in the in the past and they were called out for it too. This year they have completely changed up the dynamic of the team to fix it

Seeing the leafs in the past is why Im comfortable in saying that the Stars are soft and I dont see them going far because of it.

We were also convincing ourselves by using metrics like "height" and "weight" for the leafs in the past. That doesnt matter if your team doesn't play a heavy/physical game. From the games Ive watched Dallas play, I havent see them play that heavy game at all. They're bottom 10 in hits and their game shows it

Also, this is just my opinion. Its fine if you disagree. If the stars make it to the Western Conference finals I'll happily eat crow. I got nothing against the stars. I'll be cheering for them

 

[MrHeiskanen]

No need to get sensitive. Leafs were 100% soft in the in the past and they were called out for it too. This year they have completely changed up the dynamic of the team to fix it

Seeing the leafs in the past is why Im comfortable in saying that the Stars are soft and I dont see them going far because of it.

We were also convincing ourselves by using metrics like "height" and "weight" for the leafs in the past. That doesnt matter if your team doesn't play a heavy/physical game. From the games Ive watched Dallas play, I havent see them play that heavy game at all. They're bottom 10 in hits and their game shows it

Also, this is just my opinion. Its fine if you disagree. If the stars make it to the Western Conference finals I'll happily eat crow. I got nothing against the stars. I'll be cheering for them

I disagree with the soft comment, there is no team in the league that will bully the Stars. I do agree they don't play a physical game however.

 

[trellaine201]

Which goalie is the best decides the west imo

 

[Tralfamadore]

They have as good of a chance as any other team in the West and better than most. The only thing they lack is the elite superstar forward but depth is arguably more important in the playoffs and that's probably their biggest strength. Luckily, as an Avs, we've matched up with them pretty well this year. We'll see in teh playoffs though.

 

[HitterD]

Can they? yes and the Flames were sure banking on it when they traded Tanev (3rd round pick part of the deal, conditional on Dallas making the finals)

my question, is playoff Oettinger still a thing? The guy put in one of the single best performances i've ever witnessed in that series against the Flames a couple years ago. I'd say if he's on his game Dallas might be the Stanley Cup favorite.

 

[Codez]

Dallas plays a fairly clean game in hopes of avoiding penalties and getting an occasional call.... In turn they take a pretty good beating throughout the playoffs, and unfortunately also led to the end of last year's playoff run.

 

[hangman005]

They have better chance of it than coming out of the East.

 

[MBTendy]

They have as good of a chance as any other team in the West and better than most. The only thing they lack is the elite superstar forward but depth is arguably more important in the playoffs and that's probably their biggest strength. Luckily, as an Avs, we've matched up with them pretty well this year. We'll see in teh playoffs though.

Robo is one season removed from 100 pt + season, and Roope was well over a PPG in last years playoffs leading the way for the Conn Smyth until they were eliminated by VGK in 6 games.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

If Dallas gets 2021-22 version Oettinger where he single handedly put on one of the best goalie performances ever in a single playoff round then yes. He was not good last years playoffs though.

Elite Oettinger can win the cup for Dallas.

 

[MBTendy]

If Dallas gets 2021-22 version Oettinger where he single handedly put on one of the best goalie performances ever in a single playoff round then yes. He was not good last years playoffs though.

Elite Oettinger can win the cup for Dallas.

Otter doesn’t even have to be elite for the Stars to win the cup. He just has to be good/reliable.

 

[Little Psycho]

Feels like 2012 with all these great teams in the west

 

[Jee]

Coming out in Texas sure is difficult

 

[Devonator]

Absolutely.....but so could 6 or 7 other teams.....the West is a madhouse.

 

[Aurinko]

Stars would get to go as underdogs vs. Av's and maybe even Oilers. That could be a big deal.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I have the top 4 as:
Florida
Colorado
Dallas
Carolina

So yes they could win the West. But I’d probably rank a healthy Vegas ahead of them too.
West is going to be brutal.

 

[serp]

I disagree with the soft comment, there is no team in the league that will bully the Stars. I do agree they don't play a physical game however.

Which is the decision of the coaching staff. Under Bowness the Stars were a physical grinding team that hit alot . The core didn't change that from 2 years ago. DeBoer just doesn't want the team to play that physical so they don't. The roster could though

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Dallas absolutely can but so can any of Colorado, Vegas, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg. We're up for some incredibly intense hockey in the west come these playoffs. It's looking extremely unpredictable and I'm not even going to try to make a prediction on who enters the cup final.

 

[HolyHagelin]

I have the top 4 as:
Florida
Colorado
Dallas
Carolina

So yes they could win the West. But I’d probably rank a healthy Vegas ahead of them too.
West is going to be brutal.

Carolina? Really? They cannot beat the rangers h2h in the regular season or the playoffs, and this year they aren’t even beating them in the division standings. Weird pick.

Like Nashville or someone would make more sense. Or, you know, the team leading the standings that also has one of the best records against “top 10 in the standings” teams and has been blistering hot every month except January.

 

[NYR94]

Yes, but the West is stacked so it will be tough. A Cup-caliber team is going to lose in the first round as a result