Dallas Stars Finish Easy Part, Now Comes Real Test
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars made a statement in game six by beating the St. Louis Blues on the road and staving off elimination. But that was just the pretest. The real test comes tonight in game seven. Are they up for it?
Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals put on an enthralling game six of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. The Penguins entered the game with a 3-2 series lead on the best team in the NHL in terms of points, and were looking to close out the series on home ice.
Pittsburgh shot out of the gate, taking a 3-0 lead and shifting the Caps back on their heels. With the crowd noisily against them and not much time to act, Washington scored three goals of their own in the final 21:30 to tie the game and send it to sudden death overtime.
Overtime in game six is never a pretty sight, especially for either team in this series. If the Caps lost, they kissed their season goodbye. If the Penguins lost, that would mean that they blew a 3-1 series lead and would have to win on the road to advance. Either way, someone was going home disappointed.
After some more intensity and edge-of-the-seat moments to start off overtime, Nick Bonino ended not only the game, but also the Washington Capitals’ season, when he scored to help Pittsburgh advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Washington Capitals were not expected to be leaving this early. After leaving a considerable footprint in the regular season that helped them post a 56-18-8 record and 120 points, they clinched the President’s Cup and were the first overall seed in the playoffs. Not many had them heading into vacation this early.
It’s nearly impossible to even come close to feeling the emotions that were felt by the Capitals tonight. With their season on the line, they put everything they had on the line. They gave it their all. With their backs in the corner, they forced an overtime period and came up a goal short. Goaltender Braden Holtby‘s reaction after the goal was scored is a perfect example. Absolutely devastating.
And, as the tradition always carries in hockey, the two teams met at center ice to shake hands one final time before parting ways. One full of unexplainable joy, the other full of unimaginable defeat.
However hard it may be to believe, these handshakes will occur at the end of the Dallas Stars game against the St. Louis Blues tonight in Dallas. A decisive game seven will be played to decide once and for all which team wants it more.
If you kept playing this series for another six games, you’d likely reach game 13 with a 6-6 split. That’s how close these two clubs are. The Stars have found ways to win in game one at home, as well as game four and six on the road. Meanwhile, the Blues snagged a game two and game five win on the road, as well as a game three win at home.
But tonight is the final game for one of these teams. The season over just like that. After hard work in the first 82 games got them to the second and third overall seeds in the entire NHL, one of them can go no further.
The Dallas Stars are lining up on home ice, though it may not prove to be as huge of an advantage as people think it will. The Blues have won two of three on the road this series, and the Stars have struggled in their home barn this postseason. But as we’ve seen with this series, anything can happen.
Game six was a big test for the Stars. They entered enemy territory pinned in a 3-2 corner, one simple loss away from elimination. The Blues had handed the Stars a crucial loss in Dallas just two days prior, and the Stars were in a must-win scenario. It was a thrilling game, but by proving their resilience and persistence, Dallas won 3-2, forcing an influential game seven.
It’s crazy to think about, but game six was just the pretest. Sure it was the first time the Dallas Stars had stared elimination in the face and they confidently escaped its clutches for one last game. But now is the game that truly counts. No game means more than game seven. Are the Stars up for it?
In a lot of ways, it looks like the Blues have the upper hand going into this game. They are still playing with a healthy lineup, they feel like they earned the win last game (probably because they did), and they have succeeded against the Stars on the road. Dallas will still be missing Tyler Seguin, and this game may not have the win-or-go-home motif attached to it that last game had, at least not as significant.
On the other hand, the Dallas Stars have plenty to look forward to. They will more than likely have a sold-out home crowd backing them, and the Blues have experienced some serious struggles in the past few seasons in closing out series. They struggled last series, but eventually knocked off the Chicago Blackhawks in seven. The Stars must take that extra step and show the Blues up.
Tonight’s game will be one of the most interesting games you have seen all throughout the playoffs. It’s a battle of a team that has been trying to make it past the second round for years vs. a team that has not been to the second round in almost a decade. Two different squads, but one similar desire.
Next: Stars Continue To Prove Resilience To Blues
Game seven promises to be an entertaining one, as long as both clubs show up of course. Keep an open mind going into it, Stars fans. And if you are going to the game, arrive early, wear victory green, and be loud. This is what it all comes down to. One more set of handshakes. Who will be on the winning side? We’ll find out tonight at 7:00.