pilldoc Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 (edited) This will be the first playoff series between these two teams. Vegas won their Round Robin game between these two teams earlier in this year's playoffs 5–3. This will be Vegas' second appearance in the Conference Finals. Their only previous Conference Finals was in 2018, which they won against the Winnipeg Jets in five games. This will be Dallas' seventh Conference Finals appearance. They last went to the Conference Finals in 2008, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games. These teams split both games in this year's regular season series. Edited September 15, 2020 by pilldoc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 I have to go with the Knights in 7 it should be a very physical series...will Bishop ever get back healthy?? Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Wow series starts tomorrow. No waiting around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Vegas in 5...a lot more disciplined approach. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 2 hours ago, jammer2 said: Vegas in 5...a lot more disciplined approach. Yup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlaskaFlyerFan Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 I think Vegas in 6. I expect it to be an all out physical war. I think Vegas has more guns than Dallas even though the Stars have Kiviranta! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck_Pun Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 I voted Stars in seven but deep down I know Vegas will win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Math Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 (edited) A strong delivery. Compared to Colorado, they have two first goalies, four lines and no significant injuries. Stars are 2-7 against them in history, 1-1-1 this season, including the RR game. The logic would say Vegas in 6, but again we never know. Edited September 6, 2020 by Villette/Lavaux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 Going with Stars in 6. I am very impressed with not only the overall team game that Dallas has played all year long (and used to shut down the Avs at times), but now it seems, the coaching staff is actually ALLOWING the big name offensive guys to play as such. When you have the likes of Radulov, Heiskenen, Klingberg, Seguin, Benn, Gurianov, Hintz, and yes, even the twilight career of Corey Perry, and you have as much trouble scoring as Dallas did during the year, you have to think it is a coaching style thing, and NOT that the players suddenly forgot how to generate offense. Well, that doesn't seem to be the case in these playoffs. And while I like the make up of the Knights, a complete 4-line squad, more than adequate defensemen, good team toughness, and good goaltending, they really don't have that one guy or two that you can say "he can take over a game"....while Dallas certainly does. See the list of Stars players I mentioned. Overall playing as a unit is what Vegas does best while their very good, though not necessarily elite players do their thing, and cause problems for the opposition. But I think Dallas has the personnel to either play a tough, defensive shell game, but also open things up and play wide open and have some real snipers to further that cause. I will also give a slight edge in goaltending to the Stars. Even with Ben Bishop down (for how long, who knows), Anton Khudobin is more than capable in a series, especially with what he has playing in front of him. Lehner, since his resurgance in New York, has been outstanding too, but there are STILL times when he seems to lose a bit of focus....and if he does that with any of Dallas' offense bearing down, look out. Stars showed they can score and skate with the Avs....no doubt they can do that against the Knights. Vegas showed some weaknesses in dealing with the Canucks, a young not-quite-there team, by trying TOO simple an offensive attack that even the young Vancouver team was able, for the most part, to diffuse...... Vegas can't do that against a better defensive team and expect to win. Dallas with the mild upset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 On 9/5/2020 at 11:36 AM, jammer2 said: Vegas in 5...a lot more disciplined approach. That is exactly what i went, Bishop is not the same, they canot win with him on the sidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 @TropicalFruitGirl26 I went Knights in five, IMHO if the Avalanche had not lost Francouz, Grubauer, Johnson, Donskoi, Landeskog, it would have been a very different outcome. Radulov is playing like a man possessed but Benn looks out of sync, Bishop is injured. Vegas is the deeper, healthier team right now and i think they take this one rather handily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyLdy Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 I got VEGAS winning this series, GO KNIGHTS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 And away they go! Puck dropped, Vegas, Dallas....it's ON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Whoa...MAF in net for Vegas! That changes the equation a bit. A MAF with something to prove COULD be a nightmare for Dallas to beat! We will see.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 There we are.... Stars on top first quickly. Tellin ya...this team CAN score if the coaches let the offensive players play!z John Klingberg drawing first blood. 1-0 Dallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Stars being smart... They know MAF hasn't started in a while, they seem to be taking shots at him at EVERY opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 (edited) Two defensemen on Dallas to watch (besides the obvious Klingberg and Heiskanen) are Jamie Oleksiak and Esa Lindell. Those two will fly under the radar of most people, and in fact, they don't seem particularly noticeable on the ice, but both seem to do all the little things coaches want....quick clears, disrupting incoming rushes and find open offensive forwards. And if EITHER gets left all alone, they'll take a SOG too. Two very underappreciated, do-a-bit-of-everything type guys. Oh, and both are hella checkers too. BOOM! Edited September 7, 2020 by TropicalFruitGirl26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modano9 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Stars have fresher legs. Should be up a couple if Tyler didn't have hands of stone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 2 minutes ago, Modano9 said: Stars have fresher legs. Should be up a couple if Tyler didn't have hands of stone Welcome to the site, Modano9. Yea, Vegas finding out quickly that Dallas can and will generate offense.... the Canucks might have lulled the Knights to sleep a bit with their lack of shots generated last game out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modano9 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Dallas throwing the body around is a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Good period for Dallas. They dictated most of the play, jumped out to the lead, had plenty of offensive zone pressure and for the most part kept Vegas out of their own zone. Knights looked like they woke up a bit towards the end of the frame, so we'll see if that has any effect in the 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 2ND Period. Puck dropped. Game ON!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Jamie Oleksiak leading a rush.... Looks like a damned battleship rushing ahead of the destroyers and cruisers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojo1917 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 I am taking the Knights in 6, I think they're better. Prorating last's night's Stars win into the equation I still think Vegas is better. The Stars had their legs going early but faded as the game went on, Vegas will wake up they are deeper and have better players 1-12 than Dallas. The series looks to be fun to watch. I think there are two very good semi-final matchups in the tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Math Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 On 9/6/2020 at 7:19 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said: the coaching staff is actually ALLOWING the big name offensive guys to play as such I'm wondering if it's not playing against the coach's plan Some games they played dramatically too defensive with not always a great outcome. Klingberg once stated that they wanted (as players) to play more in the offensive zone and they have the guys to do so (Hintz, Gurianov) On 9/6/2020 at 7:36 PM, yave1964 said: Bishop is not the same, they canot win with him on the sidelines. Actually, Bishop started to fade a bit since February I'd say. Still a good goaltender but he took the bad habit to allow at least one very bad goal per game. I'd rather see him in the press-box than on the ice while being unfit to play. 23 hours ago, mojo1917 said: The Stars had their legs going early but faded as the game went on, Vegas will wake up they are deeper and have better players 1-12 than Dallas. True about Vegas's depth. In game #1 the Stars decided to go on a relentless physical approach that worked, and I think that surprised Vegas. Then logically Vegas came out strong in the third (they didn't have the choice) and Dallas switched to their typical conservative approach (maybe a bit too conservative, it's Vegas on the other side, not Ottawa). That first game was a bit weird. It was completely wild with huge ups and downs, this one was like a pressureless round-robin game, with a bit more of intensity. I'm expecting to have a whole different game tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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