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Dallas Stars 2019-2020 Season Thread

Longhorn_Fan68

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cactusflinthead

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4 minutes ago, Dr. Beeper said:

Like we’d make a game of it. We are a different 3rd period team. Didn’t know if we’d win but we owned that 3rd period. Could’ve put it away before OT. We lived in Vegas’ zone. 

When they got the first one I was back in. The second one, well shit, they got it to OT now. Veggie was on their heels by then.

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C-Man

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Agreed until I saw the first game. Thought the same thing against the Avs. Frankly I thought the Flames series would be a tossup. We seem to be the gritty team of destiny.

TB is fucking good. Outscoring us in playoffs. Upset the highest point total Bruins. As many regular season points as Avs. Even if we play well and Dobby plays well, I think this is a 6-7 game series. 

 

Tampa won like 60-something games last year. They’re hella good — but no Stamkos.

 

I was hoping we could beat Calgary but didn’t have a great feeling about it. Thought there was no chance we’d beat Colorado — and then Grubaugher and Johnson got hurt in Game 1. We won that one. Didn’t think we had a chance against Vegas and we dumped in five games. This team is on a ridiculous tear! Benn is playing as well as he has in several years and the kids are playing lights-out. And then there’s Dobby!

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markstanco

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Tampa won like 60-something games last year. They’re hella good — but no Stamkos.
 
I was hoping we could beat Calgary but didn’t have a great feeling about it. Thought there was no chance we’d beat Colorado — and then Grubaugher and Johnson got hurt in Game 1. We won that one. Didn’t think we had a chance against Vegas and we dumped in five games. This team is on a ridiculous tear! Benn is playing as well as he has in several years and the kids are playing lights-out. And then there’s Dobby!


Benn is playing better, but much better than before c19 started. The whole team for that matter.
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Beau Vine

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25 minutes ago, markstanco said:
30 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:
When they got the first one I was back in. The second one, well shit, they got it to OT now. Veggie was on their heels by then.

Those guys are big and fucking fast. I had no idea how we would win at the start of the series.

Me neither.  That's why I feel fairly confident against Tampa, who has looked like the best team all along.  Fuck them. 

Wife just walked in here and asked, "You're not going to be able to sleep tonight, are you?"

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Beau Vine

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Vegas is 10-3 in the playoffs when they score first.  They are 1-2 in this round.  😂

Quote

 

With a suffocating defense and clutch goaltending, the Dallas Stars are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. But the Vegas Golden Knights vowed that the Western Conference finals are "a long way from over" following their 2-1 loss in Game 4 on Saturday night.

"We've been here before. We were in the same exact situation with Vancouver, with a goalie and a team playing like this. We stuck with it. This is a long way from over and we're going to be a tough out," said Vegas coach Peter DeBoer, in reference to the conference semifinal series that the Knights won in seven games.

Narrator: They're out.

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cactusflinthead

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17 minutes ago, C-Man said:

 


Guerin wasn’t on that Devils team. The Arnott line featured Sykora and Elias, I think, and, yes, it was a bear.

 

I hate the Jason Arnott line.

What exactly was in that cough syrup?

12 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Me neither.  That's why I feel fairly confident against Tampa, who has looked like the best team all along.  Fuck them. 

Wife just walked in here and asked, "You're not going to be able to sleep tonight, are you?"

That damn alarm is going to go off before sun up whether I like it or not. 

I don't know how much clarity I am going to possess for the 8 o'clock meeting.

 

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markstanco

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7-game losing streak. Zero offense heading into suspension of play. 
Now in playoffs, Miro with 22 points. Benn with 18.  Denis with 17. Klinger with 16. Rads and Pavelski with 14. Roope with 11. 
You are a stat machine. I didn't know it was that bad but I knew it was bad.

Had tickets for the (i think) Thursday game a week after the shutdown and wasn't even close to excited. Week before me and my oldest son was at the mavs game vs Memphis and watched KP go off with luka doing luka stuff.
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Beau Vine

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Reilly Smith going full Matt Leinhart:

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"They scored timely goals. It was a tight series. Our team probably out-played them for 90% of it, but that's what cost us: We weren't scoring, and they were," Smith said. "The last eight games, it felt like we were cursed around the net. Nothing was going in."

 

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Beau Vine

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Shapiro:

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For the first time since 2000, the Dallas Stars are headed to the Stanley Cup Final. Dallas defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime of Game 5 on Monday to win the series 4-1.

1. The Dallas Stars are going to the Stanley Cup Final. I just had to type that out again.

2. Midway through the third period, it looked like Vegas was going to force Game 6.

The Golden Knights were leading 2-0, they were outplaying the Stars and after roughly 50 minutes Vegas had more than earned the opportunity to extend this series.

But Jamie Benn had other plans.

Benn, particularly in this series, has found the fountain of youth in the Edmonton bubble. He’s dialed it back to his mid-20s and has played like the premier power forward in the NHL.

Benn has been that two-pronged monster some refer to as “Beast Mode,” or I like to call him, “Sochi Benn.” He physically takes games over and changes their course, and then with his physical play in tow, he shows off the offensive flair that once allowed him to win an Art Ross Trophy.

That’s exactly what Benn did in the Game 5 closeout. Throughout the game he was physical. He created opportunities. Even when Vegas was dominating, Benn was still a force.

There’s a look Benn has in moments like this. It’s hard to truly describe, but it sends a message to both benches — Jamie Benn isn’t going to lose this game.

“I didn’t look him dead in the eye but I’ve seen those eyes that you’re probably talking about,” Tyler Seguin said. “He’s our captain and leader for a reason. He knows what to do in big moments and he seems to be doing it over and over again. Heck of a job by him. We wouldn’t be here if he didn’t start that play tonight.”

So when Vegas took a 2-0 lead early in the third period, Benn flipped the switch even further. By the middle of the third period, he found the offensive finish to start the rally.

Esa Lindell circled the net, Benn went hard to the crease and after a centering feed by the defenseman, the Stars captain was the one to dig the puck out and fire it past Robin Lehner to give Dallas life.

 

3. The legend of Joel Kiviranta continues to grow.

He doesn’t score often, but when he does, the goals are massive.

And on Monday, he scored another game-tying goal in an elimination game with less than four minutes remaining, roofing home a rebound on the power play to tie the game at 2-2.

 

Kiviranta’s Game 7 hat trick against Colorado came when he seized the opportunity because of an injury to Andrew Cogliano. His goal in Game 5 against Vegas was another result of seizing opportunity. This time, he gained a power-play role after Radek Faksa was injured.

4. The final strike of the rally, as you likely already know, came from Denis Gurianov.

The Russian rookie hadn’t scored in seven games, but in Game 5, you could tell he was feeling it.

He was dangerous on the rush and created chances. In the second period, he hit the crossbar on a breakaway. It didn’t feel like a question of whether Gurianov would score, but when he would finally end that drought in Game 5.

Aa delay-of-game penalty by Zach Whitecloud in overtime allowed the Stars to load and fire the roving cannon. The DENIS system was fully activated in the franchise’s most important moment in more than two decades with a slap shot that was clocked at 110 miles per hour.

 

D- Demonstrate open space
E – Engage one-timer
N – Neglect glove side
I – Inspire confidence
S – Send Stars to Stanley Cup Final

5. When you talk about postseason legends, no one will ever forget the tale of Anton Khudobin.

The supposed backup became a starter by necessity in the playoffs. He has been one of the driving forces of this run.

Khudobin is chaotic and fun, just like the Stars.

In Game 5, Khudobin made 34 saves and kept Dallas in the game early when the team needed a lifeline.

Khudobin is at his best when he’s busy. He’s now 8-0 in the playoffs when making 30 or more saves in a game.

“He’s just coming into his own,” Seguin said. “He’s always been that goalie in practice that you don’t love shooting on because you don’t score much. He reminds me of a guy named Tim Thomas a little bit. He’s competitive, he works hard and he’s getting the job done.”

Khudobin raised his game in this series. He was good in the first two rounds, but against Vegas, he was outstanding. Going into the final, he’s one of the new favorites for the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP alongside Miro Heiskanen and Benn.

He, of course, got the Stars’ victory chain after the game.

 

6. The Stars have had four head coaches in the Jim Nill era.

It turns out the one with the interim tag on his name has reached the highest peak.

Rick Bowness is one of the most beloved men in hockey. In normal times before the pandemic, when travel around North America was allowed, you’d see him having long conversations at each rink around the league. It’s hard to find an organization in the NHL that doesn’t have someone with a connection to Bowness.

As the Stars have made this run, they’ve become a sentimental favorite in part because of Bowness, who has coached in the NHL in some capacity since 1984 and is still seeking his first Stanley Cup victory.

Bowness couldn’t hide his emotion on the bench when Gurianov scored, and you can’t blame him. When he was introduced as “Western Conference Champion” in his Zoom availability, he couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s a feeling you can’t describe. We’ve been talking to our players last night, you only get so many cracks at going to the Stanley Cup Final and you’ve got to take advantage of it,” Bowness said. “For me, as a coach, it’s just gratifying for the players. They’ve worked so hard. They’ve come together, we’ve been resilient all year, being down, I think that’s 12 games now we’ve come from behind, so I’m just very, very happy for our players, our management, Tom, the owner, all of the fans in Dallas, our supporters of our team. I’m just thrilled for everybody but when you’re behind the bench and you see that puck go in and you know you’re going to the Stanley Cup Finals, words can’t describe the emotion that comes through. Again, any time you get here, people are paying an awful price so you need to be rewarded and we got rewarded tonight. It’s so rare to get to the Finals, man, you’ve got to enjoy every minute of it.”

7. Nill took some gambles with this roster.

He gambled that Corey Perry still had something left in the tank. He gambled that Joe Pavelski would be worth a three-year contract. He gambled on Andrej Sekera. And he gambled on Bowness by standing by the coach even when things looked bleak and the Stars couldn’t score near the end of the season.

Throughout this whole season, Nill has stuck by his word that he likes this group. He trusted the resumes of big-name players, hoping that in big-time moments they would deliver.

Pavelski has done that — think back to his hat-trick that saved the Calgary series — while Perry and Sekera have gone from frustrating liabilities to key cogs in the playoffs. Nill bet that experience would pay off and it has.

8. Benn was dialed in on Monday morning.

“One thing I’ve noticed in the playoffs, Jamie’s usually pretty loose and talkative and everything. Since the playoffs have started, you come in the morning and he’s not very talkative. He’s very dialed in, in the morning,” Bowness said. “Even this morning, usually him and I chit-chat a little bit but I know when to leave him alone. When he’s dialed-in like that, you could be talking to him and he’s not even going to hear you so I just got to leave him alone but he’s dialed in and he’s a great leader.”

Benn also represents something simple that the Vegas doesn’t have: A captain.

This isn’t too say the Golden Knights don’t have leaders, but they are one of the NHL teams without a defined hierarchy led by one player wearing the “C” as the main voice in the room.

The Stars have that voice. They follow Benn for better or worse, and his leadership only grew this season with the addition of Joe Pavelski, who essentially became a vice-captain even though the Stars never gave him a letter.

It’s just food for thought as Vegas move into the offseason, but to find a team without a captain winning the Stanley Cup, you have to go all the way back to the 1972 Boston Bruins.

9. It felt like Vegas might have won this game 15 seconds into the third period.

Seguin had an early chance for Dallas, where his one-timed shot was stopped by Robin Lehner. Then Reilly Smith — a player Dallas traded for Seguin all the way back in 2013 — picked a corner for a 2-0 lead.

That should have been the end. That should have forced Game 6.

But the Stars have that something, call it whatever you want, that when the situation looks most dire they find the best version of themselves.

10. Much earlier, the Stars had to weather another first-period storm and this time they came out of it trailing 1-0.

Vegas was the much better team in the first period and found the first goal when Chandler Stephenson got loose for a breakaway and a smooth finish.

Stephenson can fly, but the Stars gave him even more runway for launch when Jamie Oleksiak pinched in the offensive zone and Roope Hintz didn’t cover the point.

Miro Heiskanen was the closest man to Stephenson when he finished, and that’s actually more of a testament to Heiskanen that he was able to get near the speedy Vegas forward.

11. There were signs that Benn was going to ignite before the third period.

This save by Lehner, after Benn forced a turnover to create the chance, could have been the play of the game for the Golden Knights.

 

There was a replay after that save where the cameras showed Benn’s face. It wasn’t a look of frustration; it was that look of determination that leads to that other look, which we mentioned before, where he has no plans of losing.

12. Seguin has now gone nine games without a goal.

The Stars need more from Seguin offensively. Much more.

They’ve also somehow reached the Stanley Cup Final without him scoring in the Western Conference Final.

But Seguin does deserve a ton of credit for the other parts of his game. The overall impact has been noticeable and has improved in each of the past four games. The only thing missing, and maybe this comes in the final series, is putting the puck in the net.

13. Roope Hintz was a game-time decision after leaving Game 4 with an injury. He returned to the lineup.

According to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu, who is bubble-adjacent in Edmonton, Hintz didn’t look great before the game and was “skating very slowly, seemed afraid to test whatever it is that hurts.”

Hintz looked better than expected throughout the game and had a pair of shots on goal. He also wasn’t hobbled in the faceoff circle, winning four of six draws.

By winning Game 5, the Stars have at least bought themselves a little bit of time to allow Hintz to heal up even more before the final series.

14. Radek Faksa missed his second straight game due to injury, which is believed to be related to his left arm or wrist.

I’ve covered Faksa since he turned pro in 2014. He’s the type of player who will try to play through anything; there have been injuries in the past where Faksa wanted to play through them, but had the Stars trainer or doctor step in and stop him from doing so.

Knowing that fact, it likely isn’t a good sign for Faksa’s prognosis when it comes to returning to the lineup soon.

15. With Hintz healthy, the Stars used the same lineup they did in Game 4.

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark – Joe Pavelski – Denis Gurianov
Joel Kiviranta – Roope Hintz – Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano – Jason Dickinson – Blake Comeau

Esa Lindell – John Klingberg
Jamie Oleksiak – Miro Heiskanen
Joel Hanley – Andrej Sekera

Justin Dowling and Taylor Fedun also took warmups.

Vegas countered like this.

Max Pacioretty – William Karlsson – Mark Stone
Johnathan Marchessault – Paul Stastny – Reilly Smith
Nick Cousins – Chandler Stephenson – Alexa Tuch
William Carrier – Nicolas Roy– Ryan Reaves

Brayden McNabb – Nate Schmidt
Alec Martinez – Shea Theodore
Nick Holden – Zach Whitecloud

16. The scribes covering Vegas, and therefore the rest of us, weren’t able to hear Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer during his Zoom availability on Monday morning.

DeBoer was asked two questions. He gave answers, but the microphones were on mute on the bubble end, and since no one could hear DeBoer, no one else raised a hand to ask a question. The moderator from the NHL then dismissed DeBoer before realizing that the Vegas coach hadn’t been audible to the outside world.

I’m actually surprised we haven’t run into more Zoom connectivity issues in these playoffs. The interactions might be a bit awkward, but the technology for the most part has delivered.

17. At the end of warmups, Radulov and Seguin often shoot pucks into the empty net at the other end of the ice.

It’s part of their pre-game routine, which also features Seguin having to be the last player off the ice.

Golden Knights backup goalie Marc Andre-Fleury decided he wasn’t going to allow them to shoot into the empty net on Monday.

 

18. The Stars gathered for a team picture after Benn accepted the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy as Western Conference champions.

Benn didn’t touch the trophy, after the game stating it was probably because of superstition.

We often make a big deal over the touching or non-touching of the conference championship trophies. Here are some numbers to chew on.

The Stars are 1-1 when touching the trophy, as Derian Hatcher touched it in both 1999 and 2000. That fits with the overall numbers of the past 22 Stanley Cup Champions. Since 1997, 11 of the winners touched the Conference Final Trophy while 11 did not.

USATSI_14932773-scaled.jpg
 
(Photo: Gerry Thomas-USA TODAY Sports)

19. All of these celebrations took place in an empty building in Alberta.

There were no fans in attendance and the only sound was the jubilant excitement from the Stars players. It’s weird, but this entire year has been weird.

The Stars players and coaches didn’t notice the weirdness. They’ve become numb to the bubble, and winning the Stanley Cup, no matter where it is awarded, is something this group has worked for through one of the wildest roller coasters of any NHL season.

Just think about this: The Stars played the first NHL game of 2020 back on Jan. 1 in the Winter Classic. Now they’ve guaranteed they’ll also be playing in the final game of 2020.

20. I think Jim Nill likes where this team is at.

 

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C-Man

C-Man 27049

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Reilly Smith going full Matt Leinhart:
"They scored timely goals. It was a tight series. Our team probably out-played them for 90% of it, but that's what cost us: We weren't scoring, and they were," Smith said. "The last eight games, it felt like we were cursed around the net. Nothing was going in."
 


Never go full Leinhart. Suck it, birch. We had the better goalie and better grit. That shit can win Lord Stanley’s tournament.
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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 53999

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The Stars won both games against the Lightning in the regular season, each in overtime (4-3 on Dec. 19; 3-2 on Jan. 27). Tyler Seguin had three points (one goal, two assists), and Benn scored two goals. Alexander Radulov (one goal, one assist), Gurianov (one goal, one assist) and Klingberg (two assists) each scored two points. Khudobin made 45 saves on 48 shots in the 4-3 win. Ben Bishop made 23 saves on 25 shots in the 3-2 win.

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shadow_operative2.0

shadow_operative2.0 15825

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4 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Remember when we were down 2 games to 1 to Calgary and trailing in game 4 with under 20 seconds to play?  

That seems forever ago.

Wanna talk forever ago? I went to this game, which was pretty damn big at the time, & we got fucking obliterated. 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401145985

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C-Man

C-Man 27049

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The Stars won both games against the Lightning in the regular season, each in overtime (4-3 on Dec. 19; 3-2 on Jan. 27). Tyler Seguin had three points (one goal, two assists), and Benn scored two goals. Alexander Radulov (one goal, one assist), Gurianov (one goal, one assist) and Klingberg (two assists) each scored two points. Khudobin made 45 saves on 48 shots in the 4-3 win. Ben Bishop made 23 saves on 25 shots in the 3-2 win.


Pretty sure I was at the Lightning game at AAC last season and it was a wild one that we lost in OT (if memory serves). Might’ve been 17-18 season.
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