The Dallas Stars will face the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference Semifinals, which begins tomorrow night in Winnipeg. The team has boarded their plane and flown north for games 1 and 2. The Stars are facing the best team in the regular season, which will be a step up from the Colorado Avalanche. No disrespect to Gabriel Landeskog and the Avalanche, but the Jets are a step above them in terms of difficulty. This could be another series that goes the distance.
The Jets have a lot of quality players who can easily take over the game in the blink of an eye. Kyle Connor is their top scorer in the postseason, scoring four goals. Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti are tied with three goals in the postseason, and who can forget one of the best goaltenders in the regular season, Connor Hellebuyck. Even though he didn't look like himself in the first round, the Stars must be prepared if he shows up in this series. Here are the four players the Stars need to watch in this upcoming series.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets: 4. Adam Lowry
Adam Lowry is the team captain of the Winnipeg Jets. While he's not a primary goal scorer for the Jets, you can never count him out from inserting himself on the scoring sheet. Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel must make sure where he is on the ice at all times. The last person who needs to sneak up on Jake Oettinger is Lowry. The Jets tend to rally when Lowry scores, so Dallas must ensure he remains quiet and in the shadows during this upcoming series.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets: 3. Cole Perfetti
Perfetti is another player the Stars need to watch during the series against the Jets. Like Lowry, he's the last person who needs to be unguarded skating around the Stars' zone. He is quiet and can easily sneak up on Oettinger for a put-back goal to take the lead in a game. The Stars won't have to worry about him like the next person we will mention, but making sure Perfetti joins Lowry in the shadows needs to happen.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets: 2. Kyle Connor
Connor was a pain in the butt against the St. Louis Blues in the first round. While he was quiet during the middle part of the series, Connor has been "that player" for the Jets in the playoffs. It will take a team effort to make sure he doesn't do too much damage to the Stars in the second round. The Stars might find themselves with their backs against the wall if they don't guard him like a most wanted person. Connor is the main Jet the Stars need to shut down from being a threat to Oettinger.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets: 1. Connor Hellebuyck
Hellebuyck is the one player the Stars need to crack if they want to be in the Western Conference Finals this season. He made Jake Oettinger look like the MVP of the Central Division after being pulled three times in the first round of the playoffs. The Stars need to overwhelm him to the point that the Jets have no choice other than removing him from a game in the second round. That's how the Stars will get past the second round by overwhelming Hellebuyck.