Down 2-0, Dallas will try to climb back into their First Round Playoff series on the road.
When a team finds itself down 2-0 in a playoff series, the questions immediately start centering around their confidence level. What adjustments need to be made? Do they need to become more aggressive or back off a bit? Will lineup changes be made?
Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer and several players have faced similar questions in the days following a 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights to go down 2-0 in their First Round Stanley Cup Playoff series. To a man, the Stars maintain they still have a high level of confidence against a team they haven't beaten since Game 5 of the 2022-23 Western Conference Final. Vegas went up 3-0 in that series before eventually clinching in six games.
Now, the Stars are in danger of digging themselves into that same hole. Bouncing back from deficits is becoming a familiar tune with this team. But this is the postseason, and the margin for error is much smaller.
"You look at all the underlying numbers, everything's really, really close," DeBoer said Friday. "It comes down to someone sticking a puck in the net at the right time, a big save at the right time, special teams battle, all those little things decide games. When you get two teams that are really evenly matched in a lot of areas, that's what decides it."
That being said, how has the team handled the pressure of once again facing a two-game deficit in a playoff series?
"We have a lot of veterans in this room who have been around a very long time," forward Jason Robertson said after Game 2. "We've always been a good road team this year. It's going to be a grind, but everyone in here is going to be confident and ready to go."
The Stars were indeed a great road team during the regular season, finishing in the top three in almost every major stat category away from home. Their 26-10-5 road mark set a new franchise record, as did their 57 points.
Vegas, on the other hand, wasn't too shabby at home. They finished 27-12-2 at T-Mobile Arena, second-best in the NHL, and their .683 home points percentage ranked seventh. They allowed the fifth-fewest goals on home ice (104), and goalie Logan Thompson went 16-5-1 at home with a league-leading 2.15 goals-against average, and his .922 save percentage was fourth-best.
History is not on the Stars' side. According to ESPN Stats Info, teams who lose the first two games at home in a first-round playoff series are 2-10 since 2013-14 and 3-24 in all series during that span. But as this series has proven, records and numbers mean little. If the Stars hope to get back in the series, they have to put the past out of their minds and concentrate on the present.
"That was the message right away," forward Tyler Seguin said following Game 2. "You've got to start with one. We've been a good road team all year, we're gonna do it again."
Reshuffling Lines
In the third period of Game 2, forwards Mason Marchment and Radek Faksa left the ice with unspecified injuries. Forward Tyler Seguin also did not skate, although he's had scheduled days off since coming back from a lower-body injury.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer did some reshuffling of lines during Friday's practice in their absence. He downplayed the changes, saying it wasn't indicative of what will be on the ice Saturday.
"I wouldn't read too much into that," DeBoer said. "We had some guys skate earlier that are at practice. We have some guys, obviously, that there are some question marks around. We're just throwing around some things this morning."
Wednesday's game was especially physical, with a combined 108 hits between the two teams. Marchment led the Stars with seven hits while Faksa had six.
Both players will be game-time decisions, according to DeBoer.
Bourque Called Up Again
On Friday, the Stars recalled forward Mavrik Bourque from their AHL development affiliate in Texas. Bourque, who was named the AHL's Most Valuable Player earlier this week, made his debut with Dallas April 6 in Chicago against the Blackhawks, totaling two shots on goal in 10:56 of ice time.
The 22-year-old Plessisville, Quebec native is with the team in Vegas, so he is available to play should DeBoer choose to use him. Forwards Ty Dellandrea and Craig Smith, who have been healthy scratches the first two games of this series, are also available.
Saturday Watch Party
The Stars may be on the road, but fans can still take in Game 3 with a watch party at Shark Club, 8451 Parkwood Blvd. in Plano. Another will be held Monday for Game 4 at the location on Grandscape Blvd. in The Colony, although the time for that game has yet to be announced.
Puck drop for Saturday's Game 3 is 9:30 Pm CT, and can be viewed on both Bally Sports Southwest and TBS.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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