The Dallas Stars knocked the Colorado Avalanche out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 win in Game 7 Saturday night at American Airlines Center, claiming the first-round series 4-3.
The Stars will continue their Stanley Cup pursuit in the second round against either the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues.
The two Central Division teams are tied 3-3, with Game 7 set for Sunday night in Winnipeg.
As Dallas awaits its next opponent, here are some reasons the Stars should or shouldn’t want to face either Winnipeg or St. Louis in the second round:
Why the Stars should want to face St. Louis
The obvious choice between the two possible opponents for the Stars would be St. Louis.
The Blues were the last team in the Western Conference playoff picture as the second wild card seed. While they went on a run late in the season, they spent a good chunk of the year outside of a playoff spot.
The Stars had no trouble with the Blues in the regular season, beating them in all three meetings.
Plus, if the Stars take on the Blues in the first round, they would have home-ice advantage. The Stars haven’t been without home-ice advantage since 2023. The difference between three possible back-and-forth trips to Canada and two to St. Louis is significant.
Why the Stars shouldn’t want to face St. Louis
The Blues may not have been dangerous all year, but they were the hottest team at the right time.
St. Louis went on a 12-game winning streak in March and April, setting a franchise record and securing a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
While the Blues were their hottest, the Stars had gone cold, losing the last seven games of the regular season.
Blues center Robert Thomas was also one of the top scorers in the league down the stretch, tying for second in points since March 1 with 33 (five goals and 28 assists). He’s kept that up in the playoffs with two goals and six assists in the first six games.
Plus, St. Louis is averaging four goals a game in the playoffs against the league’s top netminder.
Why the Stars should want to face Winnipeg
It’s rare to want to face the league’s top team in the playoffs, but the Jets may have more than just the Presidents’ Trophy curse working against them.
Winnipeg has a reputation for falling apart in the playoffs, as does its superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets have reached the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons but have advanced past the first round only twice. In the franchise’s history, it has only won three total playoff series and never a Stanley Cup.
Many saw this as Winnipeg’s best chance to do so, but in a tight series with the lowest-seeded team in the conference, the Jets are being doubted once again. It also comes as Hellebuyck has struggled, especially on the road, with a .815 save percentage and 4.42 goals-against average through six playoff games.
The Stars are a seasoned group coming off back-to-back runs to the third round, and their playoff experience may be even more valuable against a team that often looks shaky this time of year.
Why the Stars shouldn’t want to face Winnipeg
Ultimately, Winnipeg isn’t a great matchup for the Stars.
Despite their playoff history, this may be the best Jets team yet. Hellebuyck was by far the best goalie in the league this year and is expected to be the back-to-back Vezina winner. The Stars struggled against Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood, and Hellebuyck would be a much greater challenge. While his road numbers haven’t been great in the playoffs, Winnipeg and Hellebuyck have been solid at home.
Winnipeg also had the top power play in the league in the regular season (28.9%), though it’s dried up a bit in the playoffs. It finished top-five in the NHL in goals per game (3.35) and goals against per game (2.32).
In four regular-season meetings, the Jets went 3-1-0 against the Stars, outscoring them 12-5.
After a challenging first-round series against Colorado, the Stars’ road wouldn’t get any easier against the Jets.
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View GalleryMore from the Stars’ Game 7 win
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— Mikko Magic: Rantanen leads Stars’ frantic comeback to eliminate his former team
— Wyatt Johnston puts another feather in his Game 7 hat in Stars’ win: ‘He’s special’
— Stars coach Pete DeBoer’s ‘super impressive’ Game 7 record is now the best in pro sports
— Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues? Who should Stars want to face in second round?
— Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon stunned after season ends at the hands of Dallas Stars
— Stars coach Pete DeBoer expects both Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson to play in Round 2
— National reaction to Stars’ win: Mark Game 7 down as a classic in Dallas sports history
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
