It’s no secret that the Central Division is tough- one of the harshest environments in the NHL. The Dallas Stars have gone back and forth in terms of dealing with their division opponents, capping off their 2015-16 campaign as division leaders but failing to take their game much further in 2016-17.
And in games against these division foes, tensions can run high and raise the stakes, making these important games for the Dallas Stars. In the past, these were often toss-up games. As the 16-17 season progressed, it seemed less and less likely that the Stars would come out on top in any matches against teams from their own division.