What tonight means for the Dallas Stars' playoff race
The Dallas Stars are 4-3-1, 9 points with a magic number of 153 and a tragic number of 153 — holding a wild card spot — Nashville Predators is the first team out.
Tonight they host Boston Bruins.
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
Playoff berth
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
The Dallas Stars can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 153 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 39 games from now.
The Dallas Stars can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
Games that matter tonight
- Boston Bruins at Dallas Stars
- San Jose Sharks at Montréal Canadiens
- Anaheim Ducks at New York Islanders
- Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
- Colorado Avalanche at New Jersey Devils
5 other NHL games with a smaller bearing on this race were left out of the enumeration, so a path that depends on one of them isn't listed. Every path shown is a real guarantee.
Every combination of these results (0 in all) was checked with the same conservative math as the standings page, so each path listed is a mathematical guarantee — no tiebreaker assumptions in your favor. Want the result-by-result version? The rooting guide on the team page shows what each game does to the numbers.
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Frequently asked questions
How can the Dallas Stars clinch a playoff spot tonight?
The Dallas Stars can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 153 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 39 games from now.
Can the Dallas Stars be eliminated tonight?
The Dallas Stars can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
What is the Dallas Stars magic number right now?
The Dallas Stars magic number is 153 and their tragic number is 153.
How are these scenarios calculated?
Every combination of results in the NHL games that bear on the race tonight is enumerated, and the magic and tragic numbers are recomputed in each one with the same conservative math as the standings page. The paths listed are the minimal sets of results that guarantee the outcome no matter how the other games end.