"It's huge," said Stars captain Jamie Benn of Tuesday's must-watch showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights at American Airlines Center. "That's obviously what you want as a player and a team is to not rely on somebody else to do your job. We have a chance to get into the playoffs with a big win, so that's what we're going to try to do."
Dallas is 44-30-5, good for 93 points. Vegas is 42-31-6 (90 points). A win in regulation and the Stars would be five points up with each team having two more remaining. Vegas couldn't catch Dallas at that point. If the Stars win in overtime or a shootout, the door still would be open. If Vegas wins in regulation or overtime, the Stars could be in peril.
But if the Stars can take care of business on home ice, then they get that "X" that signifies a clinched playoff spot.
"We just want to get in," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We want to see that X and we'll go from there."
Of course, the Golden Knights will likewise be motivated. Vegas is in its fifth season as an NHL franchise and has made the playoffs in the first four so far. They were expected to contend for the Pacific Division championship but have been hampered by injuries all season. They've lost goalie Robin Lehner to shoulder surgery and are coming off a tough 5-4 shootout loss to San Jose on Sunday.
They can still catch Dallas, Nashville or LA and make the playoffs, and a win on Tuesday would go a long way in doing that.
"Definitely a tough pill to swallow," Vegas captain Mark Stone said after Sunday's loss. "We have to win the next game. If we win the next game, you never know what could happen. You can get some help. We've gotten some along the way. Really a devastating loss, but we're still in it. You have to think that way. We have to win a big game on Tuesday to keep our chances alive."
And that's fun for both sides. The fact the two teams are playing each other and both seeking the same prize is perfect for this time of the year. Bowness said it's like an elimination game in a playoff series. If the Stars win, they can clinch their spot. If they don't win, they still have two games left.
"The toughest win in any playoff series is getting that fourth win, and that's what we're facing," Bowness said. "The way they lost last Sunday], you know they're going to be coming at us very hard and we just better be ready to take it back to them."
The Stars are 1-3-0 in their past four games, but they've been trending up. They played a good game in Calgary on Thursday and then beat Seattle on Saturday at home. They took Sunday off and had a light practice on Monday to save energy. Mix in some travel issues on Friday, and you have a hectic week. But Bowness said the team is excited about battling through adversity and looking forward to meeting another challenge.
"This is what we all sign up for," he said. "There's a lot of good teams in this conference and a lot of good teams in this division, so it wasn't as if we were going to walk away with it. We've been looking at this week and kind of the tell-tale sign for the playoffs."
After all, it's taken a full season to get to this place.
***Great seats are still available for Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights! [Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika*.
