Flashbacks of last year's postseason run haunt Stars in 2-0 loss
That was not the result that the Stars were hoping for. In the last three games, the Stars played with intensity, and it looked like they could have advanced to the next round of the playoffs. With the loss last night, it's do-or-die Sunday night.
The Dallas Stars had a chance to make things right from last season. They had an opportunity to eliminate the Vegas Golden Knights from the playoffs. It would have been awesome to beat them on their home ice like they did the Stars last season. However, Noah Hanafin's goal in the third period was the deciding factor in the 2-0 loss last night. With the series moving back to Dallas on Sunday, the Stars have one more game to win if they want to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.
This is a familiar situation for the Stars. They were in a game seven last season against the Seattle Kraken on home ice. If you remember what happened, the Stars won the game against the Kraken to advance to the Western Conference Finals. However, the Stars aren't playing the Kraken on Sunday. They are taking on the defending Stanley Cup Champions in game seven. Everybody has to show up if they want to move on to the next round.
You can't blame Jake Oettinger for the loss to the Golden Knights last night. He stood on his head and gave the team multiple opportunities to win in regulation. The only goal that went past him tonight deflected off Ryan Suter and into the net. If you want to blame someone for the loss, blame it on everybody except Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood. The team could have easily put the game away if they had stopped passing the puck and overloaded Hill in front of the net.
Pete DeBoer has a 7-0 record in game sevens during the playoffs. That record seems promising for Stars fans as they prepare for a nail-biting game seven. You must credit the Stars for fighting back and winning three straight after being down 2-0. They could have packed it up and called it a season. It's hard to win three straight games in one arena during a series. Luckily, the Stars will have their fanbase cheering them on at the American Airlines Center on Sunday night.
As I wrap up this postgame article, we must mention how the top line disappeared last night. Joe Pavelski slowed them down last night, and fans were surprised that DeBoer didn't put Stankoven on the top line instead. The shake-up could have given the Stars a goal or two, and it would have been a different story. DeBoer needs to shake up the lines or bench Pavelski while putting Mavrik Bourque into the lineup on Sunday.