Dallas Stars stay alive with Chicago's loss in regulation

Star-Telegram

The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in regulation Sunday afternoon, failing to give the Blackhawks the point they needed to eliminate the Stars.

Dallas goes into today's 5 p.m. game (KTXA/Ch. 21 and NHL TV) at Minnesota needing a victory in regulation or overtime for the two points to earn the eighth and final playoff spot in the NHL Western Conference.

Chicago's loss left the Blackhawks at 97 points and the Stars go into their regular-season finale with 95. A Stars win ties the Blackhawks, but the Stars can't win in a shootout. The first relevant tiebreaker is victories excluding shootout wins, and Chicago has their edge there, 38 wins in regulation or overtime (ROW) to 37.

The next tiebreaker is head to head, and Dallas has the edge, winning the season series 3-1.