The NHL hasn't been too kind to Dallas so far when it comes to their postseason schedule.
The Stars took a long break from the end of the regular season until Game 1 against Las Vegas, went undefeated and started the postseason 0-2. Most of their games had unaccustomed slow start times.
And now, after a hard-fought Game 7 victory over the Golden Knights, Dallas must begin a series against the Colorado Avalanche within 48 hours.
Some of that had to do with a concert scheduled for Wednesday at American Airlines Center, but that still leaves Dallas with little time to prepare.
“It doesn't get any easier,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said Sunday night. “We have a great Colorado team coming here. We have to be even better than we were in this series. They showed in the first round that they are not afraid to score goals. I think they showed that they have great players. They know how to win.”
The Avalanche are coming back from a week off by defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 in the first round of the series that ended last Tuesday. I have to leave to start the series, but I have more than enough time to rest.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said after Game 7 that he prefers to jump into the next series, especially early in the playoffs. His team hasn't had much success since coming off the break, but Colorado's break could give the team time to cool down.
The Avalanche averaged 5.60 goals per game in the Winnipeg series, leading the league. After losing Game 1 7-6, Colorado went on to win four straight, defeating Winnipeg 22-8. Kale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon tied for a team-high nine points.
Meanwhile, the Stars had to play seven games against Vegas before advancing to the second round. They are battling injuries to defenseman Jani Hakanpaa and forward Mason Marchment, but things will get tougher from here.
“I don't think we can get through seven straight games against a team like that without taking some damage,” DeBoer said. “I think when you pay that toll, you never know when it's going to be. Is it a round now? Is it two rounds from now? Is it during the summer? Let's hope we can stop it. .”
After winning Game 7, the Stars improved to 2 wins and 2 losses in the series. While some may argue it will burn out, DeBoer hopes his team can move forward with the best momentum from Game 7.
As the stars learned in the Vegas series, the first few games will teach them the style they need to play. Dallas focused on defense after starting the playoffs by dropping two games at home. Although Colorado is a familiar opponent, no one expected the offense they produced in the first round. The Stars will find out whether that continues on Tuesday.
But even with limited rest and practice time, there's only so much the Stars can change during this time. They hope the foundation they've built over the past eight months will be enough to get them back to the conference finals.
“We’ve had this group together all year long,” DeBoer said. “There's good chemistry there. They understand our system. The fundamentals are in place. We don't change too many things from series to series. How we want to play We know what a good game looks like. It's ingrained in our players. Just come to the rink with energy and execute.”
Star performance after winning Game 7
| Year | game 7 series | Next round result |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-1999 | Defeat Colorado 4-3 in the conference finals | Defeat Buffalo 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final |
| 1999-00 | Defeat Colorado 4-3 in the conference finals | Lost to New Jersey 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. |
| 2019-20 | Defeated Colorado 4-3 in the second round | Beat Vegas 4-1 in the conference finals |
| 2022-23 | Won against Seattle 4-3 in the second round | Lost to Las Vegas 2-4 in the conference finals. |
| 2023-24 | Won against Vegas 4-3 in the first round | 2nd round is undecided vs. Colorado |
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