After clinching Game 5 in dramatic fashion on Friday night, the Dallas Stars sit one win away from the 2019 Western Conference finals. The win was a big one on the road and once again proved that the Stars’ game plan is built for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Dallas Stars have made it a habit throughout their 2018-19 journey to try and prove that low-scoring hockey games can be just as fun as high-scoring hockey games. And yes, that’s an unpopular opinion to try and boast.
After all, the majority of hockey fans tune into games to see things such as pretty goals, intense back-and-forth action, heavy hits, fighting, and clutch moments. A 2-1 game usually doesn’t include a lot of those qualities. Instead, those games tend to center around strong goaltending, structured defensive play, and a small handful of chances that must be capitalized upon in order to come out on top.
So yeah, the Stars have spent much of their 2018-19 campaign playing a less-fun style of hockey. For Stars fans, it’s become natural. But for the average fan, it can sometimes be viewed as “boring” or “stale.”
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And yet, here the Dallas Stars sit, just one win away from their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2008. Funny how that works.
The Stars traveled to St. Louis to take on the Blues in a critical Game 5 showdown on Friday night. The second-round series between the two clubs was tied at 2-2 and left a lot weighing on the fifth game. The winner would get within one victory of the next round, while the loser would be forced to win out if they wanted to advance.
Dallas ended up finding a way to prevail. Using a quick goal by Jason Spezza and a fast attack from the opening face-off, the Stars pushed through and claimed a 2-1 win to take the series lead.
It was a low-scoring affair that involved defensive focus, a strong effort on the penalty kill, and an ability to capitalize a handful of the few scoring chances that came about. Oh, and a stellar performance from goaltender Ben Bishop, who stopped 38-39 in front of a sold-out St. Louis crowd to help the Stars clinch the win.
Each of the parts listed above was critical to the Stars’ overall execution. Had they given up a power play goal during one of their four shorthanded chances, the game likely would have required overtime and may have offered a swing in momentum. Had Bishop struggled out of the gate and allowed a few goals instead of making some incredible stops, the Blues might have escaped with the win. Had the Dallas defense not stayed focused, the game could have ended with a much different result.
But none of that happened. The Dallas Stars got everything they needed, used desperation to their advantage, and benefited from Bishop’s second best performance of the postseason.
And in many ways, their performance in Game 5 looked very similar to how they played out much of their 2018-19 campaign.
As the Stars approached the midway point of their season, they had a sincere need for an identity. Dallas was close to the .500 mark, sat on the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture, and was in need of a spark. That spark could likely be found in a common identity, so the Stars took to their strengths and rallied around a defense-first mindset.
That new mindset and identity led to a 20-11-3 stretch to end the regular season and a berth in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"“I mean, that’s what we are, right? If you have good defense, you’re always gonna be in every game. And if the goal scoring comes, we’re going to start winning games by a couple of goals to several goals. And it will come, because if you play that way, we were just missing on a couple of odd-man rushes in every period.” – Jim Montgomery on Feb. 1"
It’s a unique mindset that isn’t commonly practiced around the NHL. Stars coach Jim Montgomery acknowledged both the team’s lack of deep offensive firepower as well as their supremacy on defense and in the crease and built an identity from there. As a result, Dallas focused on their defensive process from game-to-game, relying on Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin to make timely saves and keep them in a position to win in low-scoring games.
The defense had to step up and they did. A lot was required of the goaltending duo and they turned in some of the best numbers in the NHL.
But as the team entered the postseason, there was a question as to how far their identity could take them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After all, they boasted a relatively inexperienced lineup going into the first round and had some glaring issues on offense that could play a part in their potential downfall.
But here they are. The Dallas Stars have continued trusting and believing in their blueprint, and it’s paying off as they now sit one win away from the final four.
It may not be the most thrilling style, but it’s getting results. And if it can continue clicking at a similar pace through the rest of their postseason run and everything continues falling into place, they just might have a shot at doing something special.