For the past two seasons, the Dallas Stars have come agonizingly close to the pinnacle of NHL success, only to see their journey end in the Western Conference Final. This recurring roadblock has prevented the current roster from reaching the Stanley Cup Final itself. However, as the 2025 playoffs unfold, there`s a tangible sense of optimism and strong indicators suggesting this year could be different, marking their first appearance in the final series since 2020.
Their most recent postseason concluded with a six-game defeat against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference Final. The series began promisingly for Dallas, who claimed victory in two of the first three contests, but their offense subsequently faltered dramatically, managing a mere four goals over the subsequent three games.
The year before, in the 2023 Western Conference Final, the Stars were matched up against the Vegas Golden Knights, who went on to lift the Stanley Cup. Dallas found themselves in a daunting 3-0 series deficit before mounting a comeback to win Games 4 and 5. Yet, their hopes were definitively dashed in Game 6, as the Golden Knights delivered a crushing 6-0 shutout to advance.
While a significant portion of the core players from those two playoff runs remains, the 2025 iteration of the team possesses a distinct character and a clear motivation to prove themselves. The addition of Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline immediately elevated expectations, positioning the Stars as a top contender for the championship, a sentiment supported by their performance.
Here are the key elements that appear poised to help the Stars successfully navigate the 2025 playoffs and reach the Stanley Cup Final:
The Dynamic Presence of Mikko Rantanen
Since his acquisition in March, Mikko Rantanen has been everything the Stars hoped for and more. He has been an offensive engine in the 2025 NHL postseason, leading all players with 19 points through the first two rounds, courtesy of nine goals and 10 assists. His scoring pace shows no signs of diminishing.
The Stars have long been recognized for their impressive forward depth. However, Rantanen provides that rare “alpha” quality – a player capable of seizing control of a game when needed. He demonstrated this vividly with an eight-goal outburst over a four-game stretch bridging the first and second rounds, highlighted by scoring a hat trick in consecutive games. Rantanen has a history of elevating his game when the stakes are highest, and his continued elite production will be a cornerstone of the Stars` offensive success.
Critical Goaltending from Jake Oettinger
Looking at recent Stanley Cup champions, a common thread is stable, often spectacular, goaltending from players like Sergei Bobrovsky, Adin Hill, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. For the Stars, Jake Oettinger has showcased the ability to provide just that, particularly highlighted by his strong finish to the team`s second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.
Heading into the Western Conference Final, Oettinger`s statistics in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs stand at an 8-5-0 record, a 2.47 goals-against average, and a .919 save percentage. Crucially, over the final four games of the series against the Jets, his performance significantly improved, posting an impressive 1.75 GAA and a .939 save percentage, contributing to three of those four games resulting in a Stars victory. He has been remarkably consistent, allowing more than three goals in only two of his 13 playoff starts. Oettinger is capable of making game-changing saves, underlined by his .963 save percentage against unblocked shots. While the team boasts an elite offense, the Stars` ultimate playoff fate will largely depend on Oettinger`s performance in net.
Elite Special Teams Performance
The Stars are a formidable force during five-on-five play, but their danger level escalates significantly when they are on the power play. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dallas ranks third overall and holds the highest power-play success rate among the teams still competing, converting at an impressive 30.8%. Their 12 power-play goals are the most scored by any team in the NHL playoffs this year. They`ve also found the back of the net on the man advantage in three of their last four games, including defenseman Thomas Harley`s series-winning goal in overtime of Game 6 against Winnipeg.
Equally important, Dallas has excelled on the penalty kill throughout the postseason. They possess an 86.0% penalty kill percentage, ranking third among playoff teams, trailing only the Carolina Hurricanes (93.3%) and Florida Panthers (89.5%). Their penalty kill was particularly effective in the second-round series against the Jets, conceding only three power-play goals. The Stars deploy a highly experienced top penalty-killing unit featuring players like Sam Steel, Mikael Granlund, Esa Lindell, and Cody Ceci, which has been outstanding in this postseason.
