Dallas Stars: Why Game 6 Provided Fitting End To Series With Predators

It may have taken longer than expected and it may have been anxiety-inducing, but the Dallas Stars once again found a way to get it done on Monday night. They defeated the Nashville Predators 2-1, effectively eliminating their opponent from the postseason. There was really no better way for the Stars to do it.

The Dallas Stars are moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the second time in the past 11 seasons. Let that sink in for a moment.

Done? Okay, now let’s talk about how the Stars clinched a berth in the second round in front of a sold-out American Airlines Center for the first time since 2008. Take another moment if you need it.

All good? Great. Now, let’s take a moment to talk about the events that transpired in Game 6 on Monday night at the AAC. After all, I had the opportunity to attend the game and then endured a five-hour drive back to school following the finish.

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Five hours on I-20 with no cars around after a game like that can provide you with some valuable time to think. But after bouncing some ideas around, talking through the series with some friends on the phone, and conversing with a handful of Stars fans at the Buc-ee’s gas station in Terrell, TX, this is all I could come up with:

Wow, what a thrilling game and what a perfect finish to this series.

Let’s go back to Game 1 for a minute. The Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators were pitted against each other as first-round foes on the final day of the 2018-19 regular season after the Predators won the Central division title and the Stars secured the top wild card spot with wins in game 82. The matchup sparked plenty of debate and controversy as fans and analysts tried to determine which team held the upper hand in the series.

The majority opinion ended up favoring the Predators, with the selection likely being based on postseason experience more than anything else.

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But that supposition was challenged in Game 1 when the Stars’ young guns like Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz took control and dominated in a 3-2 win.

Game 2 went to the Predators as they put together a gritty and desperate effort on home ice to even the series with a 2-1 overtime win. Nashville then visited Dallas and quickly stole Game 3 behind a superb performance from Pekka Rinne. The Stars rallied back and trounced the Predators in a 5-1 thumping in Game 4 to even the series back up. Dallas then went back to Bridgestone Arena and silenced a sold-out crowd with a 5-3 win in Game 5 to push Nashville to the brink of elimination.

And that’s what carried the two teams into a big Game 6. There had been an incredible number of momentum swings in the first five games and each team had a reason to believe that Game 6 would fall in their favor as Monday night approached. For the Stars, they had a home crowd looking for the in-person satisfaction of watching the team punch its ticket to round two. The Predators, on the other hand, had their backs to the wall and would need to play their best hockey of the series if they wanted to stave off elimination.

For much of the first period, the Predators looked like the hungrier team. The Dallas Stars started the game with three consecutive icings in an attempt to slow down the Nashville attack. The Predators played with more speed and aggression and made it difficult on the Stars to break out and try to set up an offensive rush.

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Austin Watson ended up scoring on a gracious rebound chance less than six minutes into the period, putting the Stars in an early 1-0 hole. But that was nothing new for them. Dallas hadn’t scored the opening goal in three of the first five games in the series and still went 2-1 in those contests. If anything, the early Nashville goals provided a wakeup call for the Stars.

That’s what Watson’s goal did. The Dallas Stars immediately went to work at shifting the momentum and pace back into their corner, combining a heavy offensive counterattack with a stellar effort from Ben Bishop, who stopped 18-19 shots in the opening frame.

As the second period began, the Stars continued pushing the tempo and setting themselves up for success. And after the trio of Andrew Cogliano, Radek Faksa, and Blake Comeau put together a hardworking shift that resulted in a Nashville turnover, Faksa fed the puck to a waiting Comeau in the slot and the veteran buried a shot past Rinne to tie the game at 1-1.

The final 35 minutes were about as good as it gets when it comes to elimination games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both teams traded jabs back and forth, played a bit looser than usual, and saw a plethora of chances arise in both zones. The goaltending of Bishop and Rinne remained firm, though, and the game was pushed into overtime.

That’s where, with 2:58 left on the clock, John Klingberg took it on himself to punch the Stars’ ticket to round two. Behind a beautiful pass from Alexander Radulov and a snipe of a shot through traffic, Klingberg secured the game-winning goal for his first of the playoffs and sent the AAC into an uproar as the Stars clinched the 2-1 win.

I don’t know if I’ve ever heard that arena louder than it was on Monday night. The fans put their emotions on full display. As the players piled over the boards to dog pile each other and the coaches wrapped each other up in a group hug on the bench, the 18,532 in attendance simply took it all in. This is the moment that they had been waiting on for 11 years. It was the moment that set the stage for a 2016 rematch in the second round against the St. Louis Blues. It was, simply put, the moment they needed and deserved.

“It’s big,” Stars goaltender Ben Bishop told NHL.com. “They [the fans] deserve it. They’ve been great all season. They’ve been unbelievable in the playoffs. It’s fun to get the win for them. They’re the real backbone of the organization, so for them to – especially on home ice – get that win, it’s always a little bit nicer.”

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In just about every way that you might try and look at it, Game 6 provided a fitting end to this first-round matchup between two Central division heavyweights. It was the perfect finisher, in other words.

For the Stars, they got everything they wanted. After arguably outplaying Nashville and being the better team in four of the first five games, they were simply looking to keep their momentum going.

Ben Bishop was incredible once again, stopping 47-48 and weathering an early assault while his team found its legs and energy. He ended up earning First Star honors for his performance and was the Stars’ MVP in the first round.

There were some question marks with the officiating, too. The Stars were dealt a handful of weak calls against and were given the short end of the stick when Justin Dowling won a footrace to the puck but the officials still blew it dead as an icing.

But that didn’t matter. The Dallas Stars kept their perfect penalty kill streak intact, finishing the series on a 15/15 note.

The third line, which has been relatively quiet when it comes to scoring in this series, was all over the offensive zone. Faksa, Comeau, and Cogliano worked as a single unit, generating scoring chances and charging the puck into the zone together on the rush.

“They were our best line all game long,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “After three periods, they had more minutes than Seggy’s [Tyler Seguin] line.”

Their defense helped shut the door after an early goal against and worked with Bishop to keep the scoring low.

The offense took flight after the first few minutes of the first period. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov combined for 20 of the team’s 51 shots. The second line continued to use their speed to their advantage in setting up opportunities. The third line hounded the puck all night while also shutting down Nashville’s top trio. And the fourth line was constantly on the hunt for the clinching goal.

Jim Montgomery was going for his fourth-ever playoff win and first-ever series win in his rookie year as an NHL head coach. And after dealing with a slate of adversity throughout his first season, getting here seemed unlikely and even unprecedented. But here he is. Here they are.

And while all of this was happening on the ice, the Dallas Stars faithful were embracing the moment in the stands. Overtime playoff hockey where the home team has a chance to eliminate the visitors and spark the handshake line? There’s nothing much better. From a top-to-bottom organizational perspective, there was a little bit of something for everyone in Game 6.

The challenger (Dallas) taking on the veteran (Nashville) and coming out victorious in front of their home fans in a thrilling overtime period. After a six-game bout filled with swings, energy, physicality, and all of the necessary elements of a strong rivalry, the Stars emerged with a trip to round two secured. And with the future of the two teams being intertwined closely (especially with the 2020 Winter Classic), this series was a tone-setter.

"“Awesome. A lot of emotion. It was a game that we kind of expected. They gave everything they had and so did we. What better way than for it to go to overtime? I’m happy we found a way to win.” – Tyler Seguin about Game 6"

So yeah, it was a monumental finish to an entertaining duel in the opening round. It provided Dallas Stars fans an opportunity to let their emotions run rampant and bask in a series win on home ice for the first time in what seems like forever. The last decade has been a considerably tough and unpredictable one for the Stars, but Monday night was a strong effort at repayment for their struggles.

There will be no Game 7 back in Nashville. There will be no chance at coughing up a 3-2 series lead. There is no doubt that the Stars will be one of the eight teams still playing NHL hockey come next week. That’s because of their efforts in Game 6. They remained in the moment, kept their energy high, and continued to play their game as they pushed the Predators over the edge.

And now, they have an even more intense second round matchup to look forward to in the St. Louis Blues.

But before that gets underway, make sure to enjoy this moment for a little while, Dallas Stars fans. You’ve earned it.