Don’t look now, but the Dallas Stars are defying the odds. Robert Tiffin examines what just happened in a Round 1 series that’s getting good.
We all know the dismal uphill climb facing a first-seed NHL playoffs team that loses its first two games in Round 1. Now Robert Tiffin is asking you to set that aside as you contemplate this year’s Dallas Stars.
In his latest piece for D Magazine, Big Bobby T examines how the Stars have made their better metrics count in the past two games:
…Dallas has gained ground more recently, and outside of a couple of periods filled with a lot of Vegas shots (like the third period of Game 4), the Stars seem to have a tenable strategy against the reigning champions. The recipe for success essentially has four parts: control the most dangerous parts of the ice, roll four forward lines, trust your superior goaltending, and let your best defensemen do the bulk of the work.
And that’s been effective. The Stars are decisively out-chancing Vegas. Despite both teams having scored 11 goals, the Stars are leading in high-danger chances at 5v5 by a 2-to-1 ratio. That speaks to both how good Logan Thompson has been in net for Vegas and the choosiness of the Stars, who have sometimes seemed to struggle to generate shots. The fact is, Peter DeBoer is fine with Dallas being picky rather than shooting pucks that only get blocked by Vegas’s large skaters well before making it to the net. That might mean the Stars are ceding ground in their zone for uncomfortable periods of time, but that’s because they’re trying to generate high-quality chances as opposed to a volumetric attack. It’s hard to argue with the results.
The real test awaits – making their advantages count at home:
The Stars have climbed out of a horrible hole against one of the most fearsome teams in the league. Teams don’t do that unless they’ve got a lot of luck on their side or are a pretty great side to begin with. Dallas leads Vegas in all the important metrics, and it has all the momentum plus home-ice advantage reclaimed. That doesn’t mean anything once the puck gets dropped in Game 5, but the Stars have done everything you could have asked of them since going down 2-0. Now it’s time for them to finish the job.
Read the whole piece at StrongSide. [D Magazine]
Stars Stuff
Wow, from “find a babysitter who works overnights” to “miss the first period because of DFW traffic” in one go. Thanks, Eastern Hockey Media Complex!
Fortunately, Vic has your get-out-early note pre-written.
The Captain: “This aggression will not stand, man.” (probably)
The Story So Far – Round 1
It’s been quite a week for gentleman’s sweeps. Three teams moved on with Game 5 wins in the past couple of days:
- The Florida Panthers sealed their series with a 6-1 defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning. [Litter Box Cats]
- The Colorado Avalanche also moved on to Round 2 with a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. [Puck Yeti]
- With their 6-3 win against the New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes move on to a Round 2 matchup with the New York Rangers. [Sportsnet]
- Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators staved off elimination yet again – their 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks makes it a 3-2 series. [On The Forecheck]
- And the Toronto Maple Leafs kept hope alive by defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime to take their series to Game 6. [NHL]
Around The Leagues
CapFriendly knows what really matters when a team gets its season ended.
The NHL Draft Lottery is less than a week away. (No, really.) Logan Horn details how it works, who has the best odds, which players to watch, and what happens next.
Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park – And Beautiful Boise
The Texas Stars‘ first three Round 2 games are set. If the Nashville Predators really make it a series, there will be fewer reinforcements for the Milwaukee Admirals. (Just sayin’.)
Speaking of reinforcements, look which Rögle BK tank is looking for more championship hockey already.
And just to continue with the theme, the Idaho Steelheads got a surprise bonus from the Manitoba Moose’s Round 1 exit – the return of defender Dawson Barteaux.
The Steelheads begin their own Round 2 against the Kansas City Mavericks on Saturday.
Finally
This is your Daddy now. Let’s go Stars.