Scouting the playoff race: Dallas Stars

Each Stanley Cup champion has a journey to getting to sports's most treasured prize. Some are easy and some are absolute trials. For the Vegas Golden Knights, they had a little bit of everything last season, taking down the Dallas Stars along the way.

But those same Stars are back and atop the Western Conference. Sitting at 103 points entering Monday, the Stars sit one point back from the New York Rangers for the most points in the NHL.

So are the stars at night big and bright deep in the heart of Texas? What can Golden Knights fans do to have the Vegas faithful singing, "Viva Las Vegas?" Here's a breakdown of a potential rematch between the two teams.

1. The case for the Dallas Stars

For one, the Dallas Stars are good in any venue. With a home record of 22-10-4 and an away record of 25-9-5, the Stars are adaptable in any environment. That makes for a Stanley Cup-contending team. That's especially true with Dallas rolling into the playoffs, currently on a seven-game winning streak.

There's also the scoring, with the Stars ranking second in the NHL in goals per game (3.64). When a team has balanced scoring, consisting of Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, that makes them an automatic threat. In fact, the Dallas Stars have 11 players with double-digit goals this season. That'll provide a big test for the Vegas Golden Knights in a potential rematch.

2. The case against the Dallas Stars

The Vegas Golden Knights are 3-0 against the Dallas Stars this season. They're familiar with Stars coach Pete DeBoer and how he runs his team. The familiarity gives the Golden Knights a distinct advantage in the postseason, as proven last season.

Also, the goaltending has been average this season. The team GAA is 2.91 and the save percentage is .902, causing concerns for the Stars. With Jake Oettinger not feeling like himself this season, it's a good opportunity for the Golden Knights to strike early and often.

Take their December 9th match-up, where the Golden Knights scored three first-period goals. Vegas ended up destroying the Dallas Stars, 6-1, with six different goal-scorers. With the Golden Knights replenishing their lineup, they're a threat to score early and often against Dallas.