The Dallas Stars defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in Game 7 on Sunday night, winning the series 4-3 and punching their ticket to the second round.
The Golden Knights took an early lead and tied it in the second period, but Dallas' fourth line scored the winner early in the third period to tie the series on home ice.
The Stars will advance to face Central Division foe Colorado in the next round and will host the first two games of the series. Game 1 will be played Tuesday at 8:30pm Central Time.
Here are five opinions on the Stars' Game 7 victory.
Stars stick to Game 7 script
The Stars entered Sunday's matchup with several advantages, but their play also created some key advantages.
Head coach Pete DeBoer improved his perfect Game 7 record to 8-0, and veteran forward Joe Pavelski improved to 8-3. The two tied the NHL record for most Game 7 wins by a coach and skater, respectively.
Dallas also had home ice advantage. The home team has the best record ever in Game 7, 114 wins and 81 losses.
Wyatt Johnston opened the scoring late in the first period for the Stars, increasing their chances of victory. Historically, the first team to score is Game 7 and he's 147-48.
Dallas is currently 5-5 overall in Game 7 and has won two straight games against Seattle last season.
This series marked the first time in Dallas Stars history that the team overcame a 0-2 series lead.
“There were probably a lot of doubters after Game 2,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “There are many believers in this room and in this organization.”
The 4th line caches in
The Stars' fourth line is arguably the team's most consistent in the entire series.
Five different players have been out at key points this series due to injuries and DeBoer's adjustment, but the fourth line scored its biggest goal of the season on Sunday night.
44 seconds into the third period, Radek Faksa scored on a backhand shot to give Dallas a 2-1 lead. The veteran center did so after missing the past four games. Three of those games were due to injury and his last game was due to injury.
Assists were provided by Craig Smith and Thomas Hurley.
“That's what you have to do,” DeBoer said. “We want to do what Las Vegas did last year and win a Stanley Cup. Players who stepped up like Addin Hill last year and players who overcame injuries like Mark Stone. 's story is a must-see. That's our story this year. I hope we can write the same ending.”
The Stars' fourth line won the game again in Game 4 when Smith threw the puck toward the net, which hit Ty Dellandrea's arm and went into the goal.
In last year's Vegas Series, the Golden Knights' fourth line had a notable advantage in terms of depth up front. This year, Dallas was able to take advantage of its depth.
Mistakes cost both parties
In a series like this one, where profit margins are thin, it is important to take advantage of mistakes. Both teams managed to come away with a win on Sunday night.
Johnston scored on a pass from Shea Theodore to Tomas Hertl with less than six minutes left in the first period. A turnover in Las Vegas' defensive zone allowed Johnston to fire a shot past Addin Hill on the right side.
In the second period, Las Vegas scored on a Dallas error. Defenseman Nils Lundqvist got past Brett Howden and slotted in a perfect pass from Michael Amadio to tie the score at 1-1 with 4:35 left in the period.
Lundqvist never saw the ice again after that failure.
Wyatt Johnston does it again.
The 20-year-old forward was Dallas' best skater throughout the series, giving his team a crucial 1-0 lead in the first period.
Johnston took advantage of a Vegas turnover inside his own zone and scored his fourth point of the series and series-high seventh point.
He made a perfect shot off Hill to give his team the lead.
The goal was Johnston's second in Game 7, with just two Game 7s played. He scored the winning goal in Game 7 against Seattle last year.
“What a player. He's not even 21 years old yet. It's unbelievable,” DeBoer said. “Playing against that team, how well they defended, how big and heavy that team was, and he wasn't forced out of any situation physically. He kept calling for the puck, I tried to make a difference every time I was on the ice.”
New top line creates opportunities
DeBoer brought some new lines to the Stars in Game 7, creating solid chances for Dallas, especially early on.
Logan Stankoven and Joe Pavelski swapped positions, with the rookie joining the top line and Pavelski joining Benn and Johnston on the third line.
Stankoven entered the game without a point in 18 games, but came close to scoring multiple times in the series. The Stars tried to get some action on him by putting him on their top line less than three months into his NHL career.
Although the line didn't score, it did create some great chances for the Stars. Jason Robertson and Lupe Hintz had a give-and-go late in the first period that nearly gave Dallas a 2-0 lead.
Midway through the second period, Stankoven made a beautiful play from the trapezoid, setting up Hintz in front of Hill. He missed the high.
Stankoven finished the game with three shots, the second-most on the team.
If the line remains strong in the next series, a goal may be scored in the near future.
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