Well, I'm sure Jake Oettinger got some prepaid dinners from his teammates after he stood on his head against the Minnesota Wild yesterday. That was some of the best goaltending Oettinger has had all season, and the Stars could only get one point. Sometimes that happens for even the best of goaltenders. With Jake playing yesterday, expect him to get the night off as Casey DeSmith and the Dallas Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to the AAC.
It was announced by the NHL this afternoon that the Stars are on the cusp of clinching their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All they need is one point of any fashion against the Golden Knights tonight. That should really motivate the Stars to defend home ice against Vegas tonight. The Golden Knights are not happy because they also lost yesterday. Perfect recipe for an all-time great hockey game tonight. Here are the four keys to the game against the Golden Knights.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview: 4. Just get a point
It's not like the league is asking the Stars to steal the Declaration of Independence for Nicolas Cage. Just go out there and clinch your playoff spot so you can check that off your end-of-regular-season list. Losing to the Wild on the road after Jake the Great stood on his head should really motivate the team to take care of business. Dallas needs to go out there this evening and secure their playoff spot by reaching overtime or winning the game outright.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview: 3. Just drive to the front of the net
One thing that drove me insane in the last game against the Minnesota Wild was all the posts the Stars dinged on that double-minor in the third period against the Wild. One thing that the Golden Knights are having issues with is their goaltenders not being as strong. That's what Dallas needs to exploit this evening to get back on a new winning streak. Just attack their goaltenders at the front of the net and feast on an amazing victory with the rest of the home crowd.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview: 2. Shut down Pavel Dorofeyev
There's even someone better on the Vegas Golden Knights than Jack Eichel this season, and that's Pavel Dorofeyev. He has 34 goals and 23 assists for a total of 57 points heading into tonight's game against the Stars. He's a player the Stars can't forget when he takes the ice for a shift. The last thing the Stars need is for him to be left unguarded all alone near Casey DeSmith. Shut him down and clinch that playoff spot so the team doesn't have to worry about it down the stretch.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview: 1. DeSmith Redemption
I know Casey DeSmith is looking for some good redemption after losing to the Utah Mammoth. You could tell that wasn't his best effort, and he wants to prove to the rest of the Stars that the game was a fluke. That could be in the Stars' favor, trying to get this one point to clinch their playoff spot. However, his teammates have to step up and score goals so he can get the win. Casey DeSmith could send the Stars into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and redeem himself after his last performance with a win this afternoon.