Red-hot Stars set franchise-record winning streak

The Dallas Stars have done something they had never done before in the franchise's history. 

Not in the 30 years that they have been in Dallas and not even before that when they were the Minnesota North Stars, who were born from the National Hockey League's first modern expansion in 1967.

Wednesday night's dominating 5-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers was the Stars franchise-record eighth straight win and gave Dallas a 48-19-9 record and 105 points, the best record in the Central Division and Western Conference.

Only the New York Rangers, who have 106 points, have a better record than the Stars in the league.

And with only six regular-season games remaining for Dallas, there is no better time for a NHL team to be playing its best hockey than heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The win over Edmonton was a clinic.

The Oilers - who who have 95 points (45-24-5) and are second in the Pacific Division themselves - are an offensive juggernaut with superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman and dangerous veteran snipers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane.

But they were thwarted and frustrated by the Stars ability to take away their time and space and by goaltender Jake Oettinger, who made 35 saves in posting his second consecutive shutout. Oettinger made 17 saves in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken this past Saturday.

Dallas has balance offensively, featuring seven players with at least 20 goals and eight with 50 or more points. Two defensemen have over 40 points: Miro Heiskanan (8-41-49) and Thomas Harley (15-26-41).

That balance showed on Wednesday night as the Stars got goals from five different players, none of who play on the first line. The fourth line of Radek Faksa, Sam Steel and Craig Smith were involved in three of the goals. Faksa had a goal and two assists, Steel a goal and an assist and Smith two assists. Third-line center Wyatt Johnston got his team-leading 30th goal and added an assist. Second liner Tyler Seguin (power play) and Jamie Benn from the third line got the other two goals.

The Stars are shining at the right time.