Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals taught us a lot of things about how the series is going to pan out. But it could definitely teach the Dallas Stars (and the NHL, in general) one specific lesson.
What a crazy game it was.
Last night, the Stanley Cup Finals kicked off with an energetic game one between the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Though the game was filled with intense emotion, some questionable calls, and an incredible comeback bid that fell just short, the Penguins carried the day with a 5-3 victory.
With game one in the bag, the two teams will have until Wednesday night to re-rack and come up with a new game plan before game two in Pittsburgh.
But that won’t stop some NHL fans from stewing on this game for certain reasons, one of which was a certain overturned call on a Predators goal near the beginning of the game. The goal arguably turned the tide of the game, giving the Penguins a powerful surge and helping them rattle off three goals before the end of the period.
Puck Prose
The craziest part was that those three goals were scored on a measly eight shots. Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne had been Nashville’s most consistent player up to last night, but apparently couldn’t take the heat of a Stanley Cup Final. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the rest of the series.
Throughout the rest of the game, the Penguins scored two more goals (one being in the empty net) on four shots. That gave Rinne a .636 save percentage and gave the Pens a 41.6 shooting percentage. Both of these numbers are absolutely preposterous.
This is where the Dallas Stars (and the rest of the NHL) can learn something. There’s an old saying that applies perfectly here, and that is “quality over quantity.”
For the last three seasons, the Dallas Stars have struggled with trying to outscore their problems. The offense has been largely capable of scoring around three goals for a large quantity of that time, but it’s been at the expense of giving up 3+ per game on the defensive side.
The problem from the blue line to the crease has been growing since the early 2010’s, and it came to a climax this past season when the Stars finished in the bottom five of the league in goals against. This occurrence was enough to push Jim Nill to make significant changes. He has already signed Ben Bishop to be the next starting goaltender and will likely be on the hunt for a new defender this offseason.
But scoring and offensive pressure has not typically been a problem for Dallas.
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In terms of shots taken per game, the Stars have been among the best teams in the league. In the past three seasons, Dallas has finished 7th (2014-15), 3rd (2015-16), and 12th (2016-17). This past season, they averaged 30.5 shots per game. Yet the Dallas Stars have only qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in one of the past three years.
It’s natural for an NHL fan (not just Stars fans) to relate shot totals to deciding games, and it flusters them when their favorite team outshoots their opposition and doesn’t pull out the win. But the Penguins proved last night that measuring a game in that fashion is not always reliable.
In game one, the Penguins took 12 shots. Yep, that’s right. 12. The Eastern Conference champions took 12 shots in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals. They started out strong with eight in the first period, but followed it up with none in the second and only four in the third.
That doesn’t sound like a recipe for victory, yet Pittsburgh walked away with the 5-3 win. That’s because they went 3/8 in the first, 0/0 in the second, and 2/4 in the third.
It’s the perfect example of quality over quantity and how much that matters in today’s NHL. With the goaltenders more advanced and strategic than ever before, a team can put up 40 shots (like the Stars) on a given night and come away with one goal. It’s just how the game goes.
But the Penguins figured out the loophole. Instead of simply hurling the puck at the net, they waited until the perfect shot arrived. If you take a look at the goals that were scored last night, it’s easy to see how patient Pittsburgh treats their offensive possessions.
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The Dallas Stars can learn from that, as well as their fans. Sometimes, consistent shots aren’t the answer. It’s all about finding the openings in a split second. It’s not easy, but it can be learned.
If Pittsburgh keeps using this strategy, they’ll be hoisting the Cup in no time. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Dallas do the same?