So, as they head into the stretch with seven of 10 games at American Airlines Center, they're excited at the prospect of springtime in Dallas.
"That's a building we really enjoy playing at and it always gives you that little extra boost," said forward Joe Pavelski, on the raucous atmosphere inside American Airlines Center all season long.
It's also a building that's delivered results.
Dallas is 22-10-2 on home ice and has the potential to post one of the best home records in franchise history. They're likely not going to hit the 29 wins they posted in the Stanley Cup-winning season of 1998-99, but they definitely can come close.
Jake Oettinger, for example, is 17-6-0 on home ice. One of the reasons is because Dallas produces 3.32 goals per game at home while it averages 2.55 on the road. The top trio of Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each have 34 points at home, which is around the same point-a-game pace they have on the road.
However, Jamie Benn and Denis Gurianov each see marked improvement in home scoring. Benn has 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 34 home games and 17 points in 38 road games. Gurianov has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 30 home games, and has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 34 road games.
Part of that is because the coaching staff gets the last change and can better find favorable matchups with the opposition. And part of it the Stars just seem to play better at home.
"You should have an advantage," said Stars coach Rick Bowness. "We definitely enjoy playing here, and we get the match-ups we want, and we feel good with the crowd there and just being home, so we need to take advantage."
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the stakes are as high as they get. And while they've jockeyed with Vegas for the second wild card for what feels like months, having seven of those 10 at American Airlines Center is enormous.
The Stars have put themselves in a great position to take advantage of a great arena and a great fan base.
It's a benefit that's been earned with a lot of determination in recent weeks and months, and one that the team believes can make a huge difference in getting ready for a potential trip to the playoffs.
When you think about it, the Stars are pretty healthy after missing Miro Heiskanen for 11 games and Esa Lindell for five. They're getting more balanced scoring from players like Benn and Tyler Seguin. And they seem to have resolved any injury issues they had with their goalies.
So, having the opportunity to make this stand in front of the home fans is pretty neat.
"When we met with the team at the start of March, we said, 'Our best hockey is ahead of us,'" Bowness said. "To come out of March 9-5 with 11 of those games without Miro, we knew going into the month that we had to stay in the fight for that playoff spot, and we have done that."
It's been a while since the Stars have been able to play in front of their fans in the playoffs. Their run to the Stanley Cup Final a few years ago took place in the Edmonton bubble, some 2,000 miles from Dallas.
"I wish we could experience the Stanley Cup Final again, that would be nice if we could have the home fans, that would be an even greater experience and hopefully a better ending too," said forward Radek Faksa. "It motivates me to get back into the Stanley Cup Final because it was the best feeling in my career so far."
Bowness says American Airlines Center creates a true home ice advantage and urges fans to bring the noise over the final seven home games.
"We've got great fans," he said. "Our fans are so enthusiastic, and they give us a big boost, they really do. They create a great atmosphere."
Great seats are still available for Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning! 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.
