For the third time within the final 5 seasons, the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars will probably be dealing with off within the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Final season the Golden Knights eradicated the Stars within the Western Convention Closing in six video games, and in 2020 the Stars defeated the Golden Knights in 5 video games within the Western Convention Closing. That is the primary time they may face off within the opening spherical.
The Golden Knights swept the season collection 3-0, outscoring the Stars 11-4 within the course of. Nonetheless, all three of these video games had been performed within the opening half of the season, the place the Golden Knights had been a drastically completely different group.
They began out the season with an 11-0-1 file, however accidents to Adin Hill, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone impacted their means to keep up that scorching streak. Even after a formidable commerce deadline, the Golden Knights not often confirmed indicators of being the dominant power that they had been in the beginning of the season. They completed within the second wild card spot within the Western Convention after successful the Pacific Division title in 2022-23.
Associated: 3 Greatest Golden Knights Components vs. Stars in Spherical 1
As for the Stars, they’re getting into the playoffs as one of many hottest groups within the league, successful 17 of their final 21 video games and ending first within the Central Division. Since March 1 they’ve averaged 3.70 targets for per-game (4th), whereas solely giving up a median of two.30 targets in opposition to per-game (2nd), giving the Stars the second-best objective differential within the league (plus-28).
Whereas the Stars have turn into a remarkably robust defensive group at even power, particularly after buying Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames, a variety of their current success has come from the play of Jake Oettinger. Since Feb. 1, he has put collectively a 19-5-2 file with a .911 save share (SV%), a 2.39 goals-against common (GAA), and two shutouts.
Get Wholesome
Golden Knights basic supervisor (GM) Kelly McCrimmon offered some readability on a number of the injured gamers forward of their ultimate apply at house Saturday afternoon earlier than heading to Dallas.
Alex Pietrangelo missed the final seven video games of the season after having an appendectomy, however was a full participant in apply. After just a few days of working towards in a non-contact jersey, Stone is now cleared for contact and they’ll proceed to observe his progress forward of Recreation 1. Anthony Mantha practiced on Saturday with a purple no-contact jersey, whereas William Provider was additionally a full participant in apply.
These had been the strains that the Golden Knights had been working at apply, with Marchessault sitting out and getting a relaxation day:
Barbashev-Eichel-Amadio
Stephenson-Hertl-Stone
Dorofeyev-Karlsson-Howden
Provider-Roy-Kolesar
Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud
Whereas the group hasn’t formally dominated anybody in or out, the time they’ve missed and the severity of their accidents means that they seemingly received’t be at one hundred pc. Any model of them within the lineup provides the Golden Knights a lift, however it’s uncertain that they’ll make as huge of an affect as they might at their greatest.
Shut Down the Stars’ Third Line
The Stars are constructed equally to how the Golden Knights had been final season, with their offensive depth being an enormous level of emphasis.
With a breakout season from Wyatt Johnston, the Stars’ third line is proficient sufficient to play top-six minutes. Johnston put up 32 targets and 65 factors within the common season and is slotted alongside Jamie Benn and rookie Logan Stankoven. Benn supplies a relaxing veteran presence for his younger linemates and makes the Stars’ offense a lot extra harmful by being shifted down.
The largest consider defending this line goes to be William Karlsson, who is among the most underrated defensive centres within the NHL. He simply scored 30 targets and had 60 factors, which is probably the most he’s had since his first season with the Golden Knights, and completed with a career-best 2.14 anticipated targets in opposition to (xGA/60).
Karlsson’s linemates, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden, aren’t precisely recognized for his or her defensive prowess, but when Mantha can return for this collection sooner or later he’ll seemingly change one in all them, giving the Golden Knights a a lot stronger two-way choice.
Bodily Dominate the Stars
Playoff hockey all the time has an elevated degree of physicality. Whereas it may be overvalued at occasions, the large benefit that the Golden Knights have had in hits (2,019-1,458) and blocks (1,506-1,225) over the Stars this season is tough to miss.
This performed a key function of their common season matchups as nicely. Of their three video games, the Golden Knights mixed to out-hit the Stars 98-63 and had a 54-36 benefit in blocked photographs. These two groups constantly handle to play one another intently, and these bodily components might give the Golden Knights the sting they should discover success.
That is the place gamers like Keegan Kolesar, Brayden McNabb, and Alec Martinez are going to have the largest affect. Ending checks, clearing out the entrance of the online, and being aggressive in puck battles are going to be one of the best methods for the Golden Knights to put on down the Stars over the size of the collection.
Closing Ideas
The Golden Knights’ path by means of the Western Convention is extraordinarily powerful, and the Stars are definitely one of the best first spherical opponent they’ve ever come up in opposition to. With the Stars’ dynamic offensive lineup and an elite goaltending presence, the Golden Knights are going to have their arms full.
Logan Thompson is projected to be the Golden Knights’ starter for Recreation 1, however will seemingly have a brief leash if issues go awry. Adin Hill has confirmed that he can take over video games within the postseason, however his absence from the lineup and poor play within the second half of the season has left the group with a variety of uncertainties.
Out of all the primary spherical collection, this one is probably the most intriguing. Each of those groups have the expertise and expertise to make a deep playoff run, and the unlucky actuality is that the defending Stanley Cup champions could possibly be those who get despatched house early.