WEST Playoffs '23-'24 Round 1: (WC2) Vegas Golden Knights at (C1) Dallas Stars (DAL Wins 4-3)

[Math]

Getting rid of the dead wood surely helped but the Stars should have taken a greater lead.

[FD19372]

Dallas was all over Vegas in that first period. 18-8 shot advantage, but only one goal to show for it. By far, the Stars best period of the series. Their forwards are really pressuring the Vegas defense, and making them work harder than they have.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

18 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Dallas was all over Vegas in that first period. 18-8 shot advantage, but only one goal to show for it. By far, the Stars best period of the series. Their forwards are really pressuring the Vegas defense, and making them work harder than they have.

 

Just who in the hell do the Dallas Stars think they are anyways....a team full of Berubes? 

[Math]

Lots of energy, around 10 breakaways, twice more shots on goals and almost five times more significant scoring chance and Vegas making tons of mistakes. Score: 2-2 including a Vegas shortie... And again, no big save by Öttinger to keep his team afloat. Disappointing and frustrating.

 

If the Stars lose this one, they will be obliterated 8-0 to complete the sweep.

[mojo1917]

Dallas playing a pretty good road game so far.

[Math]

Actually, they played awfully in this first period and were lucky to be tied 1-1. But again, Hintz is invisible and Öttinger doesn't make key stops...

[JR Ewing]

About 20-25 years ago, the Stars made an annual habit of eliminating the Oilers from the playoffs, so it just feels weird to cheer for them.

 

Go Stars!

 

[FD19372]

Good pressure on the power play, in front of Thompson, by the Stars. Wyatt Johnston ties it up. He's picking up where he left off in Game 3.

[Math]

4 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

About 20-25 years ago, the Stars made an annual habit of eliminating the Oilers from the playoffs, so it just feels weird to cheer for them.

 

Go Stars!

 

I have always in mind the OT goal from Marchant in game #7 following a 5.8/6 figure skating by Ledyard lol.

[JR Ewing]

I find it amusing every time the play-by-play announcer pronounces Seguin like his name is Carl Sagan.

 

[mojo1917]

7 hours ago, Math said:

Actually, they played awfully in this first period and were lucky to be tied 1-1. But again, Hintz is invisible and Öttinger doesn't make key stops...

 

What was funny to me was, I typed that and VGK immediately, surges and scores a goal.

I thought Oettinger was good and Dallas was keeping VGK from rolling early, they had an okay PK and were mucking the game down. 

Then Dallas had that bad powerplay around 7 minutes & VGK got some momentum from killing it off.

Spoke too soon I reckon.

 

[Math]

Well, that was unexpected somehow...

 

The Stars have been dominated the whole first period and have started badly the second. The stupid back-to-back penalties to Pietrangelo and Stephenson made the momentum shift IMO. Dallas got more confident and Öttinger got better. The turtling praised by Bowness back at the time resurfaced and kept things dangerous but the Stars managed to hold the lead. Thompson has a large responsability though: he really struggles on shots on the glove side and with a tight angle. No way he should have allowed the Dadonov goal and he let a deadly rebound on Johnston's tally. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hill back between the pipes.

 

I'm still worried about the Stars continuously playing with 5 Dmen. it's obvious Lundkvist is the weakest link there so maybe they will call up someone. 

[OccamsRazor]

 

[FD19372]

Stars win tonight, 4-3. Finally, a home team will win a game, in this series. Pavelski with the Game 5 game-winner.

[FD19372]

The zebras are doing their best to make sure Vegas ties it.

[Math]

Some huge opportunities for the Stars who dominate the game and had four times more high danger scoring chances. Hope that missed 3-on-0 won't bite them...

[Brewin Flames]

Stars edge Golden Knights in Game 5, push defending champs to brink

Win 3rd in row; Hill makes 22 saves for Vegas

 

DALLAS -- Jason Robertson scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at American Airlines Center on Wednesday.

The Stars’ third straight win gave them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. They can close it out in Game 6 at Vegas on Friday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MAX, TNT, BSSW, SN360, SN, TVAS).

 

“Knowing how we’ve been over the years as far as losing streaks, as far as the character in this room, we didn’t feel like we were going to lose three in a row. We just wanted to start with one and go from there,” Dallas forward Tyler Seguin said. “Our intent is to try to [win] the next one.”

 

It was the first victory by a home team in the series.

 

Wyatt Johnston had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 1 seed from the Central Division.

 

“I think the resilience, obviously being down 2-0 is not the spot you want to be in going into Vegas (for Game 3),” Johnston said. “Still got a lot of work to do. Getting the job done will be the toughest, but I think it’s been great how we’ve been able to battle back.”

 

Mark Stone and William Carrier scored, and Adin Hill made 22 saves in his first start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights. The defending Stanley Cup champions are the second wild card from the West.

 

“I still think these last two games we were right there in the second period late again,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Got away from us for puck management and discipline and allowed them to get going. We’re the defending Stanley Cup champions.

 

There’s lots of resolve in that room, lots of winners in that room, lot of pride in that room. We have to go home and win one game at home in the playoffs. That’s something we’re certainly capable of. Will it happen? Dallas will have a lot of say in that. It’s not this obstacle that we can’t do.”

 

 

Robertson gave Dallas a 3-2 lead on the power play at 16:32, scoring on his own rebound in the left face-off circle after his shot from the top of the slot was blocked.

 

“That’s the playoffs. You have to win the special teams battle, you have to win the goaltending battle,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “This isn’t something we’ve turned on. We’ve got top-10 penalty kill and power play all year, just like our defensive game.

 

This isn’t something we’ve dialed up for the playoffs. We’re playing a very good opponent, but it’s been good all year. It has to be. You don’t just crank that stuff up in the playoffs.”

 

Oettinger made 11 saves in the third period, including one on a breakaway by Chandler Stephenson with 2:42 left in the third period when he stretched out his right pad at the right post.

 

“I was on the ice watching the breakaway and said a prayer, but I really should have just trusted in Jake,” Seguin said. “He makes those big saves and timely saves, and you need a guy like that this time of year. We have so much confidence in him.”

 

Stone gave Vegas a 1-0 lead on the power play at 4:00 of the first period when he deflected a point shot from Noah Hanifin.

 

Evgenii Dadonov tied it 1-1 on a 2-on-1 at 5:02. Logan Stankoven maneuvered around sprawling Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb in the left circle and passed across to Dadonov at the back door.

 

“We said before the game there’s going to be momentum shifts throughout games and throughout series,”

 

Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said. “You’ve got to handle that with composure. I think we let our emotions get the best of us in the second there. Obviously [some] penalty trouble, but we got away from our game. Had a little too much panic in our game, too much of a fire drill. We’ve got to handle the emotional side of it.”

 

Matt Duchene put the Stars ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 8:04 when he backhanded a rebound through the five-hole from the top of the crease.

 

“I’ve had some looks so far after Game 2, a few in Game 3 there last game,” Duchene said. “I think our power play has been doing a good job. [Seguin] made a great play into [Johnston] there, had a good tip, and it’s just one of those ones you just fire to the net and it finds its way in.

 

Going to the right places, going to the net, and every now and then you get one of those.”

 

Carrier tied it 2-2 at 12:31 on a wraparound at the right post after eluding Stars defenseman Esa Lindell behind the net.

 

“I think it’s been a real tight series, back and forth a lot,” Hanifin said. “Every game’s a battle and close, so our focus has to shift on getting the win at home. We can’t lose three in a row at home. We have to push it to a Game 7. That’s where our mindset is.”

 

NOTES: Jack Eichel had an assist on Stone’s goal and has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a five-game point streak to start the postseason. … Oettinger got his 16th playoff victory, passing Don Beaupre for fifth in franchise history. … The Stars have won 13 of 15 series when winning Game 5 in a best-of-7 series tied 2-2.

[Math]

As expected, this will go to the ultimate game.

 

Game #5

Probably the most complete game from the Stars. They dominated in puck possession, scoring chances and special situations. Öttinger allowed a very bad goal for the Vegas tying at 2-2 but then he shut the door. The Stars missed an extraordinary numbe of odd-man rushed and breakaway with Dadonov missing the net on a 3-on-0. Vegas made many mistakes and lacked execution. Terrible game (and series generally by Pietrangelo) who constantly turned over the puck and took stupid costly penalties.

 

Game #6

No surprises, Vegas came out strong but the Stars did a very good job in defending. A couple of posts on the Knights' side and again, some missed breakaways and wide open net on Dallas's side. All lines seemed to be a tone below but I'm very concerned about the first line: Pavelski is completely invisible (and done IMO, which is sad. He can barely skate), Hintz is apparently injured and isn't involved at all, which causes Robertson to be quite ineffective. Nothing to say about Öttinger, he had a solid game. It could have turned either way but this time it was for Vegas.

[FD19372]

I had Dallas in 6, in this series. It worries me a bit, that Dallas only had 22 shots in Game 6. They played a little too cautiously, IMHO. Johnston and someone else, has to step up in Game 7, or they're going to lose. I think Benn and Pavelski, step up and show veteran leadership in Game 7, and play well. I think Vegas is keying on Robertson, and he's going to have a hard time in Game 7, getting open ice and chances. Harley has to become more active in the offensive zone, also. He certainly has the tools to do so. They've got to get more chances in the offensive zone, and wear down Vegas top 4 defensemen, and make them chase Dallas around. Easier said than done, but I think the Stars will pull it out. I expect a hard fought, tight checking 3-2 Game 7.

[thegx.ca]

Vegas takes it...

[Math]

 

[NHL HHOF]

Joe Pavelski has not scored yet!

[FD19372]

1 hour ago, NHL HHOF said:

Joe Pavelski has not scored yet!

Are you saying he's due to score?? (Because he is).

 

I think he'll get a goal today.

[FD19372]

Go Stars! Knock out the Vegas LTIR Fraud Knights.

[Math]

1 hour ago, FD19372 said:

Are you saying he's due to score?? (Because he is).

 

I think he'll get a goal today.

 

DeBoer put him down on the second unit with Benn and Johnston, which is good. But my eyes are bleeding everytime he's on the ice. He's just the shell of himself.