The Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the second round, returning to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.
After falling behind with a Game 1 loss, the Stars reeled off three straight wins and closed out the series in dramatic fashion with a double-overtime road victory in Game 6. Dallas won all three games, 2-1, at Ball Arena on Friday night.
The Stars are now awaiting their third-round opponent. The opponent will be the winner of the series between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver leads the series 3-2 and could clinch the championship in Game 6 on Saturday night. Games 1 and 2, and (if necessary) Games 5 and 7, will be played in Dallas, as the Stars have home ice advantage over both teams as the Western Conference regular season champions. .
Here’s a look at both of the Stars’ potential Canadian opponents and why they don’t want to play or play either of them in the next round.
Why star players want to play against the Canucks
playoff history
There is a lot of excitement in Vancouver this season as the Canucks were atop the Western Conference for much of the regular season before finishing second to the Stars. Their success in 2023-24 follows a difficult time for the franchise.
Prior to this year, the Canucks had made the playoffs just once in the past eight seasons. That was during the NHL bubble, and they lost a seven-game second round series to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Canucks are one of 11 teams to never win the Stanley Cup. The team has advanced to the finals three times, most recently losing to the Bruins in Game 7 of the 2010-11 season.
Thatcher Demko’s position
Thatcher Demko, a Vezina finalist, had an impressive regular season, starting 51 games and posting a .918 save percentage and 2.45 goals against average.
He played in just one game in the playoffs, the first round series against Nashville, which he won with a .917 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average, but a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the series.
Demko is playing week-to-week, but has not yet been ruled out for the remaining playoff games.
His absence will be an advantage for Dallas, as he recorded one of his five regular season shutouts against the Stars.
Arturs Sylovs replaced Demko and was one of the biggest surprises of the playoffs. After being called up from the AHL, he started seven postseason games and posted a .907 save percentage and a 2.62 goals against average.
Why star players don’t want to play against the Canucks
quinn hughes
The Stars just got through a series against a Norris Trophy finalist, but may have to jump into another series matchup.
In his first year as Canucks captain, defenseman Quinn Hughes set career highs with 17 goals and 75 assists for 92 points in the regular season. He was plus-38 in 82 games.
In the playoffs, Hughes had nine assists and averaged 23:13 of ice time per night. The 2024 NHL All-Star is just one of many stars on the Canucks’ roster, an offensive force that could pose a threat against Dallas.
elite forward
The Canucks have three forwards who scored 30 or more goals in the regular season, and it will be difficult to contain all three in a playoff series.
JT Miller (37 goals, 103 points), Elias Pettersson (34 goals, 89 points) and Brock Boeser (40 goals, 73 points) are three of Vancouver’s top six forwards, and Dallas will need to respond. there will be.
Boeser and Miller, who had two multi-goal games in the playoffs, are tied for the team lead with 12 points. Pettersson has five.
The Stars’ depth is an advantage with more balanced scoring, but the Canucks’ star power is dangerous.
Why the Stars want to play against the Oilers
Regular Season Series
The Stars won both Edmonton and Vancouver in the regular season, but Dallas earned points in all three games against the Oilers.
The Stars are 2-0-1 in the three meetings, concluding the regular season series with an impressive 5-0 victory on national television in April. The Stars extended their winning streak to eight at the time, setting a franchise record. game.
The Stars’ first two rounds have shown that the regular season doesn’t necessarily lead to the playoffs, but Dallas has a winning recipe for the Oilers.
goaltending
Dallas has a goaltending advantage against both potential third-round opponents.
Edmonton starter Stuart Skinner struggled in eight playoff games, posting an .877 save percentage and a 3.22 goals-against average. Both numbers are the worst of any starter remaining in the playoffs.
Skinner sat on the bench ahead of Game 4 on Tuesday night as Edmonton started Calvin Pickard for his first start in the NHL playoffs. Skinner was ejected in the second period of Game 3 after giving up four points on 15 shots. Picard is 1-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average in two starts.
Meanwhile, Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has improved as the playoffs have progressed. He has a 2.09 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage, both impressive numbers in his first 13 starts.
Why the Stars don’t want to play against the Oilers
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
The top three teams in the league with points this postseason will play in Edmonton, which is the only reason they want to avoid facing the Oilers in their next matchup.
Leon Draisaitl (21 points), Hart Trophy finalist Connor McDavid (18 points) and defenseman Evan Bouchard (15 points) round out the top three in the league’s skater rankings. Draisaitl is the only player in the league to average more than two points per game in the playoffs.
Draisaitl and McDavid both scored over 100 points in the regular season, and McDavid had an astonishing 100 assists in 76 games. They’re also joined by Zach Hyman, who leads the NHL with 54 goals in the regular season and nine goals in the playoffs.
The Stars held Draisaitl to two assists and McDavid to one assist in the regular season series, but they’re still a duo you don’t want to face in May.
power play
Edmonton’s power play has been so dominant this postseason, no other team is in the same ballpark.
The Oilers connect on the power play 40% of the time in the playoffs. Avalanche came in second with 34.5%.
With McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the top unit, this group has unparalleled scoring ability.
Dallas once again faced an overwhelming power play at Colorado College, but was able to neutralize it for most of the second round series. However, Edmonton’s team is even stronger and could make or break the conference finals matchup.
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