NHL playoff tracker: Can Dallas Stars finally get over the hump in 2026?

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22 March 2026 at 08:57

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24), defenseman Esa Lindell (23) and center Sam Steel (18) take the ice before an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

The Dallas Stars are well on their way to their fifth consecutive playoff appearance. They've made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in the last three. Can they finally punch through in 2026?

The postseason is creeping closer and the Stars are currently in the mix for a top spot. The Dallas Morning News will be there for every Stars playoff game, and we're keeping track of their spot in the standings up until the puck drops on the 2026 NHL playoffs.

Check out live updates on the Stars' spot in the Western Conference, the Central Division and their potential first-round matchup below.

How the NHL playoffs work

The top three teams in each of the four divisions will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs.

The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season record and regardless of division.

In the first round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record. The wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner.

The teams finishing second and third in each division will meet in the first round to round out the playoff field.

Stars' current standings

Overall NHL standings

Team	Games played	Wins	Losses	Overtime losses	Points
Colorado Avalanche - x	68	45	13	10	100
Dallas Stars	69	43	15	11	97
Carolina Hurricanes	69	44	19	6	94
Buffalo Sabres	70	44	20	6	94
Minnesota Wild	71	40	19	12	92

x - clinched playoff spot

Western Conference standings

Team	Games played	Wins	Losses	Overtime losses	Points
Colorado Avalanche - x	68	45	13	10	100
Dallas Stars	69	43	15	11	97
Minnesota Wild	71	40	19	12	92
Anaheim Ducks	69	38	27	4	80
Utah Mammoth	70	36	28	6	78

x - clinched playoff spot

Central Division standings

Standings as of March 21.

First-round playoff matchup

If the playoffs started today, the Stars would be taking on the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Dallas would have home-ice advantage.