Dallas Stars return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – The Dallas Stars are making their return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a record-setting season with new head coach Pete DeBoer at the helm.
The Stars defeated two rivals to secure their spot in the playoffs, downing the Nashville Predators on April 3 and the St. Louis Blues in the last game of the regular season on April 13. Dallas finished with a record of 47-21-14, claiming second place in the Central Division.
"It felt like a playoff game, especially with them coming at us in the third with nothing left to lose," Tyler Seguin said after the win against the Blues. "We haven't had one of these in a while, a real tight 1-0 game, so it was great."
The 2022-23 season all started when DeBoer was brought on as the head coach on June 21, 2022, almost a month after former head coach Rick Bowness stepped away from the Dallas hockey team. While Bowness was head coach, he brought the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season – this is now the second time in recent history that a coach has taken the Stars to the playoffs in their first season with the team.
Bowness and his Winnipeg Jets are also making an appearance in the playoffs.
"Hell of a regular season," DeBoer said. "I'm proud of our group, where we came from since training camp and the grind of the season. You never take the opportunity to play in the playoffs for granted. We did a lot of good work this year to have the season we had."
This year, players old and new stepped up and delivered.
Jamie Benn had a resurgence while serving his 10th season as the Stars captain, achieving his highest totals in goals (33), assists (45) and points (78) since 2017-18. He was also nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Stars standout Jason Robertson became the first Dallas player with a 100-point season – on top of setting Dallas' single-season scoring record – knocking Stars legend Mike Modano's out of the top spot.
Robertson signed a four-year contract with the Stars on Oct. 5, 2022, worth $31 million.
"Captain America" Joe Pavelski scored his 1,000th career point with a second-period goal on April 10 when the Dallas Stars beat the Detroit Red Wings, 6-1. Pavelski, playing in his 1,248th game, became the 10th American-born player to reach the milestone.
On January 1, Pavelski signed a one-year extension with the team.
The Stars have made it to the playoffs in 1981, 1991, 1999, 2000 and 2020, but only took the cup home in 1999, when they defeated the Buffalo Sabres with the help of Modano.
According BetMGM, the Stars' odds of winning the cup is +1400.
What team has the highest odds of winning this year? The Boston Bruins are most likely to win the cup, with odds at +350.
Boston's head coach, Jim Montgomery, is a familiar face to the Stars. Montgomery was the head coach for Dallas from May 2018 until he was released December 2019 due to unprofessional conduct. Under Montgomery's leadership, the Stars made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
The puck drops for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday, April 17. The Stars' first game takes place at the American Airlines Center against the Minnesota Wild at 8:30 p.m.