Dallas Stars Headed Into Ambush With Backs Against Wall

It’s do-or-die from here on out for the Dallas Stars. They must win out if they plan to move on to the third round. But could that pressure be potentially good?

As I sat among a slightly undermanned Dallas Stars crowd at the American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon, a few things became relevant to me. But the only thing that is still seared in my brain is this: the Stars are now one loss away from heading into the offseason two rounds short of their goal.

After escaping with a win in the overtime period of an intensely emotional game four, the Stars returned home with a tied up playoff series, looking to take a lead. Instead, the St. Louis Blues entered enemy territory and, though they may not have boasted better statistics, they did enough to capture a critical win.

The Blues will now travel back to St. Louis and await Dallas for a Monday night affair where they can clinch the semifinals series on home ice. On the other hand, the Stars must now win out, including once in St. Louis and once in Dallas, if they want to move on.

It’s definitely not a favorable scenario for a Dallas Stars team that looked simply clueless on Saturday. Through the first 20 minutes, the Stars looked as though they were ready to crush the Blues in front of a supportive home crowd. They were generating chances, finishing their checks, and putting plenty of shots on or near the net.

But in the final 40 minutes, St. Louis received some A1 goaltending from Brian Elliott along with some lucky chances generated off of breakdowns in the Stars defense, and the Blues walked away with a 4-1 win.

It’s a rough time for Dallas. The Stars have everything riding on this, and a lot will be expected out of them if they are to defeat a Blues squad with plenty of momentum looking to advance and take a break.

But it’s not definitely not an impossible or improbable dream. The Dallas Stars may be in a bit of a tight bind, but are they dead yet? I think not.

General George Patton once said, “Pressure makes diamonds.” That quote could not fit the Stars’ situation more perfectly at this point. The Stars have their backs against the wall and must do something they have not done since game one and two of the first round: win two games in a row. That’s a lot of pressure and stress for a team that has not endured a playoff run this eventful in eight years.

“We are a good hockey team. We know that,” Stars center Vernon Fiddler told the Dallas Morning News. “We are going to get our chances and we are going to have to defend well. We have been good on the road and we have all the confidence in the world in here. We know we are going to have to play our best game of the series next game, and that’s what we are going to look to do.”

Pressure could be a very good thing for this team. The Stars wandered through the first round never experiencing any lack of faith. They always looked confident on the ice that they would fend off the Minnesota Wild with no problem. That’s what they ended up doing, and now in the second round they are presented with a serious challenge.

Lindy Ruff has talked all season about how proud he is of this team because of their ability to bounce back from losses and poor play. So far, they have not left him hanging on that claim. Most recently, the Stars took a beating in game three of this round, prompting many to assume that the semifinals were all but over. Then the Stars ramped up the intensity in game four and picked up an overtime win to knot the series.

A few weeks back, I wrote about the Minnesota Wild entering this state of pure desperation that the Dallas Stars are now in. The Stars officially have nothing to lose and can put it all out on the line. That’s what the Wild did after being down 3-1 in the series, and they ended up going behind enemy lines in game five and besting the Stars in overtime to pick up another win and shift the series back to their own home, where they eventually fell.

But the fact that they were able to do that on the road shows that a team in this frame of mind has a lot to give off. Two years ago, the Stars faced elimination in game six of the first round against the Anaheim Ducks.

In game six at home, the Stars took it to the Ducks and owned a 4-2 lead late in the game. Anaheim would turn up the heat in the final minutes and tie the game up to force overtime where they would eventually win and eliminate the Stars.

Only difference is, this Dallas Stars team is leaps and bounds ahead of that one. They are playoff-tested, determined, and always up for surprising people when the odds are stacked against them.

So, in this case, the pressure could be turning the Stars into diamonds. They must now take on a hostile crowd and play with not only desperation, but also skill. They need another game four effort. A gritty, edge-of-the-seat battle royale that has the Stars come out on top.

More stars: Stars Miss Out On Chances, One Loss From Offseason

“We’re going to need more of the same,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn told DMN. “We had a gutsy effort in Game Four and we’re going to need more desperation next game.”

If the Stars can actually pull this off and win two straight games, they would not only prove their legitimacy as a playoff team, but also as a team poised to make a run at and win the Stanley Cup. This is what strong teams are known for. Pulling out miracles when they are expected to lay down and quit.

The Dallas Stars could go into St. Louis on Monday night and completely blow it. They could drop their golden opportunity or give one heck of an effort and still fall short. Or, they could take it to the Blues and invite them back for one last duel on home ice to see who wants it most. Don’t forget that the Blues had trouble closing out the Chicago Blackhawks in round one after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The Stars are staring extinction in the face now, and hopefully it will serve as some necessary motivation to at least get through game six on the road before returning home for an intense game seven.

Are the Dallas Stars capable of doing the unexpected and winning two straight games? Sure. That’s what bounce back teams do. They step on the gas pedal when you think the ride is over. And there is still a small amount of gas left in the tank. Will it be enough to get them to the finish line? Depends on how desperately they use it.

Next: Perseverance Pushing Stars To Cup Contention

My guess is that whatever happens in game six, the Stars will leave this series on an extremely high note, giving it their all until the final whistle. What else would you expect from this entertaining bunch?