Looking back on the 2015-16 and 2016-2017 seasons, this season’s output comes into focus and two questions crop up. First, did the Dallas Stars merely over-perform in 2015-2016 and come back down to earth in 2016-2017? And second, should we have expected this type of a recovery season from a team that outscored their opponents in 2015-2016? The answer to both questions, I believe, are yes and yes.
In 2015-2016, the Stars won the Central Division, scored 267 goals, and finished at the top of the league. However, they also gave up 230 goals against - the worst of all playoff-qualifying teams in that season.