(@DallasStars/X)
It may have been a fourth difficult game against a Central Division rival, but the Stars found a way to conclude the regular season on a high note.
The Dallas Stars defeated the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in a shootout at American Airlines Center. With the win, the Stars conclude the 2023-24 regular season with a 52-21-9 record (113 points) and clinch the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2016.
Entering tonight, the Stars needed to earn 1 point to clinch the Western Conference’s top seed. It wasn’t going the Stars’ way when the Blues’ Robert Thomas scored at 17:19 in the second period for a 1-0 Blues lead.
At 5:11 in the third period, Mason Marchment scored his 22nd goal of the season to tie the game. When Matt Duchene recorded the primary assist on the goal, it was the fourth time in his career he recorded a 40-assist season.
The game went into overtime and the Stars earned their point to clinch the top seed in the West. Jake Oettinger, who made 25 saves in the win, made a big paddle save to keep the game tied as the teams needed a shootout to determine a winner.
In the shootout, Jason Robertson scored the only shootout goal as the Stars won. With the Blues loss loss (43-33-6), they finish this season 92 points and have now missed the Playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
The Stars now wait to see who their round one opponent will be for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs; the Stars will play either the Kings or Golden Knights. Tomorrow, the Kings host the Blackhawks and the Golden Knights host the Ducks.
If the Golden Knights win in any fashion, the Stars will play the Kings. If the Golden Knights lose in any fashion and the Kings win, the Stars will play the Golden Knights in a rematch from last year’s Western Conference Final.
Leave a Reply