Staying just ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champions and leading the Central Division after eight games is not the same as doing it after, say, 80 games....
Dallas has allowed 15 goals in eight games, making it the NHL’s only club under two goals surrendered per game. Oettinger is 4-1 in his five starts.
Washington goalie Darcy Kuemper, who just won the Cup in Colorado, was outplayed by a goalie who could surely win one in the near future. But who knows about all of that really? The Stars’ division has produced the Cup winner three of the last four years — St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Colorado. Are the Blues, losers of three in a row, taking a downturn after losing too many key players in free agency from their 2019 Cup team? Is Chicago, now 4-3, actually good again?