Dallas Stars clinch top seed in Western Conference by getting to overtime against Blues
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson, coach Pete DeBoer and the Central Division champion Dallas Stars took a breath when the regular-season finale was tied at the end of regulation. Their fans had been cheering throughout those closing seconds.
The Stars clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs with that point they earned for getting to overtime at home against St. Louis. They added another one by winning 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday night.
“It feels like we knew what we had to do,” said Robertson, who scored the only goal in the shootout. “I mean, it’s definitely an accomplishment you should be proud of.”
The last time Dallas was the top seed in the West was 2016, also the year of its previous Central Division title. The Stars (52-21-9) finished with 113 points, the most since their franchise-record 114 in 1998-99 on the way to winning their only Stanley Cup title. They were one win shy of the record 53 set in 2005-06.