Dallas Stars: Game 7 Against Blues Offers Unique Perspective, Reminder
A winner-take-all matchup in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. Sounds familiar, right? But in this 2019 episode, the Stars can use the past as both an important and encouraging reminder.
In many ways, the 2018-19 campaign for the Dallas Stars has resembled something out of a storybook.
Just think about it for a minute. The team has faced a variety of uphill challenges, endured internal turmoil, used both new and old heroes to save the day on different occasions, and always seemed to successfully combat adversity when it was thrown at them. There have been obstacles to overcome and antagonists to battle, but the protagonist (the Stars) have continued finding ways to stay upright.
So, in many ways, their next challenge on Tuesday night should be nothing out of the ordinary.
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But as the Dallas Stars prepare for a Game 7 bout against the St. Louis Blues to wrap up their second-round series, something feels different.
Maybe it’s simply the weight of the situation. After all, losing a Game 7 carries a lot more weight than dropping a fourth or fifth consecutive loss during the regular season. With a Game 7, we’re talking about a “win or go home” situation. The Stars’ 2018-19 journey is currently hanging in the balance.
Or maybe it’s because of recency bias. Just two days ago, the Stars had a 3-2 lead in the series and were given an opportunity to close out the series on home ice at the American Airlines Center. But in that opportunity, they ended up stumbling and fell 4-1. The Blues scored an early goal and seemed to control the momentum and tempo for most of the game while Dallas tried to shift the tide.
With St. Louis winning the most recent game and flipping the series back to the Enterprise Center for a best-of-one, it would seem as though the luck and momentum are on their side. But that train of thought carelessly leaves out the impressive strides that the Dallas Stars made in the first five games of the series.
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Or perhaps it feels different because of the past. Three years ago almost to the day, the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues met up at American Airlines Center for a deciding Game 7 in their second-round matchup. The Stars had won Game 6 on the road to stave off elimination for another two days and pushed their way back home for a winner-take-all showdown.
They ended up getting throttled in a 6-1 loss in front of a sold-out home crowd that had high hopes of seeing the team clinch its first trip to the Western Conference Final since 2008. Instead, they were knocked out via one of the most depressing notes possible and closed the book on one of the most promising seasons in franchise history.
All of this can contribute to a sense of uncertain fear for the Dallas Stars. They lost their most recent game, they are in hostile territory for the deciding game, and the past doesn’t seem to be on their side.
But in all of this uncertainty and nervous excitement, the Stars have an opportunity to gain a unique perspective as well as pick up an encouraging reminder along the way.
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Pucks and Pitchforks
A Game 7 is perhaps the most intriguing stage in all of professional sports. Not only does it boast the best-of-one scenario that events like the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff National Championship carry, but it also has six games of hard-fought and even action preceding it.
Two teams have thrown everything they have into the series. There have been unfortunate shortcomings and incredible comebacks along the way, but neither team has had the juice to close it out.
And that’s what makes Game 7 so special. There will be a winner of the series by the time the final horn blows. One team will watch their 13 days of effort go down the drain while the other will be rewarded for their perseverance with a ticket to round three.
“It’s a Game 7,” said Stars forward Mats Zuccarello following Game 6. “Everything can happen. It’s something you dream of when you’re a kid to play in a Game 7. It’s going to be exciting for both teams.”
Whether fans see it or not, that’s always a fun perspective to embrace. A Game 7 is always fun to watch when your favorite team isn’t participating, but it can also be enticing when your team is in the middle of it.
Sports are full of uncertainties and critical moments that can define games, seasons, careers, and legacies. These moments are what keep fans tuned in and on the edge of their seats. Big moments like a Game 7 don’t come around often, so they need to be embraced and enjoyed to their fullest extent when they do.
On top of that, it’s an important reminder for the Dallas Stars.
The Game 7 loss three years ago hurt, but there are lessons to take from it. For one, the Blues proved that home ice means nothing in the final game of the series. They also proved that the winner in Game 6 doesn’t always carry momentum into the final contest.
“This is a whole new game, a best-of-one. We have to be excited about it, you know? It’s going to be fun. It’s always fun to play Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Whatever happens in the past is the past. Now, we have to focus on the next game.” – Mats Zuccarello after Game 6
Sure, the past six games mean nothing at this point and all that matters is who wants it more in the last round of the fight. But when you take note that the Stars are 4-2 on the road in the 2019 postseason and have yet to lose two games in a row to the Blues, there seems to be a reason for hope.
The hopes seem to be high in the Dallas Stars locker room as well. This is a team that has faced plenty of adversity and uphill battles this season, and they have always found a way to power through. With that being said, there’s no dejection or despair lingering around.
“I feel great about a Game 7,” said Stars coach Jim Montgomery. “When I was a little kid, every time I played street hockey or played in my basement with my cousin, it was Game 7 every time. I’m excited.”
“It’s exciting,” added Stars captain Jamie Benn. “What a great opportunity in front of us and for both teams to go out there and battle it out for one game. Winner take all.”
This is a challenge that both teams have to face. Sure, they are approaching it from different roads. But in Game 7, there is no time for either team to think about the past; the only thing that matters is the 60 minutes in front of them.
It’s also a test for both teams. Playoff-hardened teams know how to view Game 7 as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. They know that the road to the Stanley Cup involves some rough bumps here and there, but they always find a way to power through.
“If you want to be able to go far in the playoffs, you usually have to go through some Game 7’s,” said Zuccarello.
So as the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues prepare to duke it out one last time on the big stage on Tuesday night, don’t forget about what’s taking place. The Stars are being given a unique perspective and an opportunity to shine in the toughest part of a postseason run. The past serves as an encouraging reminder in regards to their situation and gives them a solid outlook going into the game. They have earned the right to be here with three gritty wins and three tough losses.
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All that’s left to do is drop the puck on their next big challenge. Which team wants it more?