The Dallas Stars punched their ticket to another Stanley Cup Playoff berth with a 5-1 lead over the Kraken in Seattle on Saturday night. The playoff berth marks the fourth consecutive year that the Stars will be playing hockey in the spring for the fourth consecutive year, as well as looking to collect their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Dallas Stars are officially a playoff team after picking a win on the road in Seattle to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Stars had an offensive outpouring of five goals. Dallas capitalized on special teams as they scored two goals on five power play chances. Jason Robertson extend his team lead in goals, picking up his 33rd goal of the season after Mavrik Bourque's shot rebounded and found Robertson in the low slot.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger had another stellar showing on Saturday night, as the Stars net minder stopped 35 of the 36 shots thrown his way. The Minnesota native extended his win streak to five games. The victory on Saturday night marks his 35th of the season, tying him with Andrei Vasilevskiy for second in the NHL in wins among goaltenders.
The playoff-clinching win also put the Stars within four points of the Winnipeg Jets, who currently hold the lead in the Central Division, as well as the NHL lead in points. The Stars will have another chance to get closer to Winnipeg in the standings as they will face off with the Seattle Kraken for the final time on Monday. Puck drop is scheduled for 9pm CST, and can be viewed on KHN, KONG, and Victory+.
