Dallas Stars Can Learn Plenty From Blues-Blackhawks

The Dallas Stars, though still on top, are struggling to close out the Minnesota Wild. The St. Louis Blues are enduring a similar, yet more severe situation.

Everyone has experienced the feeling of desperation at one point or another in their life. Whether it is in school trying to pass a big exam to make a grade, or in a last pitch to close a deal at work, life always has a way of making itself tight.

When your back is against the wall, it is always nice to look around and notice that other people are in a bind as well. The Dallas Stars could benefit from looking around a bit, especially considering the situation they now face in St. Paul, Minnesota today at 2 p.m.

It’s been an interesting ride for the Stars since they stormed into the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars came in as first place in the Western Conference and were plotted against the “last-in” Minnesota Wild. Game one was a blowout in favor of Dallas. Game two was a bit closer, but still a win for the Stars. Game three involved complete decomposition for the Stars. Game four was a close race, but Dallas came out on top.

Then came the invigorating game five. The Dallas Stars put together what very well may have been their best performance of the postseason so far. Yet somehow, they still came up short. Going in with a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Stars fell short 5-4 in overtime in front of a sold out home crowd.

That being said, the Stars will now lace up for a game six showdown this afternoon in front of a hostile crowd. While the Wild are still forced to win out and the Stars only need one victory, it feels as though their backs are against the wall a bit.

But here is where that reassurance comes in. Or, at least some minor, yet modest encouragement.

If you neglected to pay attention to primetime hockey last night, you missed one thrilling affair between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.

The sixth game of their thrilling series took place at the United Center, otherwise known as the Madhouse on Madison, in Chicago, Illinois. As the visiting team, the Blues entered a volatile and psychotic environment, cloaked in red and bound to spark at any moment. It was not the greatest of scenarios for them. And they were roughed up by the Hawks, as most expected them to be.

It was a brutal 6-3 punishment delivered by Chicago that was actually closer than you might expect until the later parts of the game. The win by the Blackhawks officially tied the series up at 3-3 and the deciding game seven will be played in front of a now desperate St. Louis crowd on Monday night.

But just four days ago, the Blues were well on their way to clinching the series in dominant fashion and ousting the Hawks with a 3-1 series lead. What happened that caused the Blues to combust so rapidly?

Well, in simple terms, the Hawks got to their desperation point and did not care for it. So, they turned to their playoff experience and hardened determination, and voila, they are just as close to the semifinals as St. Louis.

The Hawks understand the Stanley Cup Playoffs, primarily because they have endured its tests and trials for the past eight years. They know what it takes to be successful, as do the Blues, though to a lesser extent it seems. Chicago used their desperation mode and it followed through. Now they will travel back to the Blues’ home barn, with all of the momentum they need to close the series out.

3-1 leads can come and go as they please. But until the final horn goes off, it truly is anyone’s series. That is what the Minnesota Wild are trying to prove right now.

Like the Blackhawks, the Wild know how the postseason works and they know what it takes to be successful. That is because for the past four years, Minnesota has been dabbling in playoff action. While they have not etched their name into the Cup in that time period, they have achieved some significant milestones.

For the past two seasons, the Wild have played the role of underdog. They have entered the postseason as one of the wild card seeds, starting out on the road for the majority of the playoffs. That being said, they have been matched up against the Central Division champion team for two years straight in the first round. Both years, the Wild have stumped the champs and moved on to the semifinals.

They are trying to make it an even three this season, and are two wins away from doing it. Sure the Dallas Stars could win this afternoon and take a quick break while the Blues limp back home to take on a hungry Blackhawks team to see who would meet Dallas in round two. But this is not going to be easy. The Wild are what you might call “playoff tested.”  The Stars, on the other hand, are more like playoff fledglings.

Dallas has proven that they know what it takes to be successful in the playoffs, considering they have already come out on top three times. But do they know how to efficiently fend off desperation? Going into an aggressive environment today against a team that has finally found a sliver of momentum and plans to exploit it completely, can they put up a fight good enough to win?

One of the greatest ways to battle desperation is by countering with desperation. Friday night may have been the Dallas Stars’ only chance to close this series out. The Wild might win this afternoon and ride the momentum of being tied back to Dallas where they could extinguish the Stars on home ice in front of a bewildered fan base.

More stars: Stars Set To Endure Pure Desperation From Wild

Or, the Stars could put their foot down and cut ties this afternoon. It all comes down to how much they are willing to sacrifice to win. This is where they can learn from the St. Louis Blues, who are now in a fight for their lives. They rested on a 3-1 lead and expected the Hawks to lay down in submission. That might work on other teams, but not on a playoff-tested squad like Chicago. Or Minnesota, for that matter.

This is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and no series is ever over until one team has four wins and the other doesn’t. Going on the road and finding a way to win in front of an opposing crowd is no easy task. But the Wild did it on Friday in front of a Stars’ crowd expecting the night to end in handshakes. So, who says the Stars can’t get those handshakes today in front of a crowd expecting to pull off a comeback from being down 3-1?

“You try to put whatever’s happened, good or bad, behind you as quick as you can and worry about what’s coming down the road,” Patrick Sharp told Stars Inside Edge. “And in our case that’s a big Game 6 in a tough building against a good team, so we’re excited to get on the plane, go in there and play.”

Next: Stars Learned That Nothing Comes Easy In Game Five

Who wants it most? The powerful yet inquisitive Dallas Stars? Or the struggling but still breathing Minnesota Wild? We’ll find out when the puck drops on another physical chapter in this tale today at 2:00 in St. Paul. Tune in to NBC and don’t miss a moment.