Game 4 was completely over by the end of the second period. You could tell the Stars were exhausted based on shots on goal differential. You must hand it to the Avalanche for responding according to what happened in game 3 in overtime. This is an entirely different Avalanche team than last year's playoff squad. Their GM rebuilt their entire squad throughout the season. If he ends up in the Western Conference Finals, he should get the GM of the Year Award.
After game 4 was over, I sat in my chair wondering where the Stars who showed up in games 2 and 3 went. It was like the team decided the Avalanche were dead after losing in game 3. That's not what you should think after crashing Gabriel Landeskog's return to the lineup. Yes, it was amazing to spoil their captain's return by winning the game in overtime; however, the playoff series was never declared over after that game.
The Stars decided to take the night off and leave Jake Oettinger out to dry, and Pete DeBoer responded by pulling Oettinger at the final intermission to save his confidence. I thought DeBoer's move was great because of the team's effort in the first two periods. No need to ruin Oettinger's confidence by having him play 5-on-1 hockey for the remainder of the game. He should be ready to go for tonight's game at the American Airlines Center.
Now that the series is a best-of-3, the Stars can put the pressure back on the Avalanche tonight. The Stars have the home ice advantage for the remainder of the series. Games 5 & possibly 7 will be at the AAC, where the Stars can thrive from the crowd's energy. However, they have to show up and play tonight. That means that immense forward depth has got to show up and sucker punch the Avalanche in the face tonight. They can't allow Oettinger to hang out and dry tonight.
This is where the Stars can warn the Avalanche that you can't come into our barn and beat us. Even though the Avalanche did that in game 1, the Stars can move their home playoff record to 2-1 tonight by beating the Avalanche. It will take a team effort to slow down a team that just got their beloved captain back after three seasons, and the Stars will have to do it without Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson in the lineup.
I want to see a team effort from everyone tonight, including Jamie Benn. I want to see the Stars dive to block shots and clear the puck out of the Stars' zone to prevent the Avalanche from setting up their playmakers. I want to see players like Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen charge MacKenzie Blackwood and put the puck past him. It's time to humble him after his game 4 shutout. This is a time to prove to the rest of the NHL fans that the Stars are for real this season and are not a laughing stock. One sucker punch to the Avalanche's face can turn the tide in the Stars' favor again.