There aren't many players you'd want on your side in Game 7 more than Pete DeBoer and Joe Pavelski.
The coach and player duo have a combined 17 games of experience entering Game 7 Sunday. They appeared together three times in San Jose and a fourth time last year in the Dallas series against Seattle.
Not only have they been there before, they've been incredibly successful.
DeBoer has a perfect 7-0 record in Game 7, while Pavelski is 7-3. The two have a chance to tie the record for most Game 7 wins in NHL history with a win against Vegas on Sunday. Pavelski is ahead of Brad Richards (8-0), Ray Burke (8-1), Justin Williams (8-1), Carl Hagelin (8-2) and Ryan McDonough (8-2). He joins six other skaters with eight wins. Glen Anderson (8-4). DeBoer will tie Darryl Sutter (8-3) for the most Game 7 wins by a coach.
The Stars are counting on Pavelski to overcome one of the longest slumps of his career and get him into the second round. Pavelski hasn't scored all postseason and hasn't scored since April 9. But Sunday, with seven points and three goals in the seventh game of his career, will give Pavelski a chance to be a hero again.
After missing the first six games of the second round due to injury in 2019, Pavelski returned to the Sharks in Game 7 against Colorado, scoring a goal and setting up Thomas Hartl to lead his team into the Western Conference. He led them to the finals.
Earlier that season, with the Sharks leading 3-0 over the Golden Knights, he drew a bloody penalty for a cross-check that cost him five minutes of major time. The Sharks scored four goals on the power play to take the lead and win the series.
“If you give me your choice between Joe Pavelski and any other player in Game 7, I'll take Joe every day, all day,” DeBoer said. “He always delivers when it matters most when the chips are on the line. That doesn't necessarily mean scoring or an end-to-end rush. Is there any more out-and-out rush in him? I don't know. Maybe he's never had it. But when the chips are on the line, he blocks shots, wins faceoffs, and gets to difficult spots on the links. There's no one better than him to get the job done by going out there and making plays.”
As for DeBoer, his Game 7 success spanned four cities. He had one win in New Jersey, three in San Jose, two in Vegas and one in Dallas. Of the five managers in the league with the most Game 7 wins, DeBoer is the only one undefeated.
Game 7, the 17th in franchise history, will be a chance to finally beat a team that has held that number for the past two seasons. With the staff in the Stars' locker room, history is on their side.
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