Dallas Stars

Stars 2025-26 season analysis: Breaking down the playoff push with numbers

The Dallas Stars are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. Here is the detailed statistical breakdown of the 2025-26 season.

Team stats through March 2026 (source: Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick):

  • Record: 42-25-7 (91 points)
  • Goals for per game: 3.24 (9th in NHL)
  • Goals against per game: 2.71 (11th in NHL)
  • Power play: 24.1% (8th in NHL)
  • Penalty kill: 81.8% (12th in NHL)

What is working:

  1. Power play: After a slow start to the season (18% through November), the coaching staff made a formation change. Moving the bumper spot to the right side and using one-timers from the left circle increased conversion rate by 6 percentage points. Source: Natural Stat Trick PP splits.
  2. Goaltending: The starting goaltender has posted a .918 save percentage over the last 30 games, up from .908 in the first 20. When the goaltending is above .915, the Stars are 28-9. Below .915, they are 14-16-7.
  3. 5-on-5 play: Stars control 52.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick. That is a team that is generating more high-quality chances than it is giving up.

What needs to improve:

  1. Third period play: The Stars have been outscored 78-71 in third periods. They are giving up leads late. Source: Hockey Reference period splits.
  2. Road record: 18-15-4 on the road versus 24-10-3 at home. The home/road split is too wide for a serious contender.

Playoff outlook: MoneyPuck gives the Stars a 78% chance of making the playoffs and a 6.2% chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Source: MoneyPuck.com.

Sources:

  • Hockey Reference — team stats
  • Natural Stat Trick — advanced metrics
  • MoneyPuck — playoff probabilities
Community ReportAutomatedSource: Community ReportPublished: Apr 3, 2026, 8:57 PM

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