Series Discussion Division Finals vs Colorado Avalanche | STARS WIN 4-2

[LT]

https://vxtwitter.com/lassimak/status/1787306685867983254?s=46&t=n5CPC3bEycSBkXeDZL1KBQ

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[Johno]

 

[piqued]

This series (and a potential WCF against Edmonton) are why I wish they had spent the end of the season putting together a Miro-Tanev pair. You could've hard matched at home using our 1 seed status against MacKinnon/Rantanen with the best combination to try to contain them. Something has to change with the current grab-bag defense roulette wheel because it's going to get exposed against top-heavy teams.

 

[Johno]

This series (and a potential WCF against Edmonton) are why I wish they had spent the end of the season putting together a Miro-Tanev pair. You could've hard matched at home using our 1 seed status against MacKinnon/Rantanen with the best combination to try to contain them. Something has to change with the current grab-bag defense roulette wheel because it's going to get exposed against top-heavy teams.

the pairs Harley-Miro and Esa-Tanev managed 1.73 and 1.93 xGA/60 respectively, I think they’ll be fine against the Avs too.

 

[catters078]

You need 2 pairs against mackinnon. He plays 25 to 28 a night, so he's out there pretty much every 2nd shift. So you need a top 4 to limit him.

Lindell-Tanev for his O zone shifts and Harley-Heiskanen for his D zone shifts where we need to match his transition speed.

Also think suter will be fine against him in defensive zone faceoff situations. Suter will just need to avoid those open ice breakout defensive situations.

Will be a key game of chess those matchups

 

[Habitant#1]

This Habs fan is on the Stars bandwagon!
Love how this team was built, it's a drafting masterclass.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Hinterland]

You need 2 pairs against mackinnon. He plays 25 to 28 a night, so he's out there pretty much every 2nd shift. So you need a top 4 to limit him.

Lindell-Tanev for his O zone shifts and Harley-Heiskanen for his D zone shifts where we need to match his transition speed.

Also think suter will be fine against him in defensive zone faceoff situations. Suter will just need to avoid those open ice breakout defensive situations.

Will be a key game of chess those matchups

MacKinnon never played 25mins vs Winnipeg. Heiskanen's lowest TOI vs Vegas was 24:35 which is more than MacKinnon's highest TOI. So no. In home games with the Stars having last change, one defense pair would be enough to shut down MacKinnon. That's easier said than done of course but in theory, purely based on TOI, it would work.

 

[Mighty Makar]

Good luck, folks. Winner of this series will raise Lord Stanley.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

What do you know, Florida beat up on Tampa, sat around for a week, and got wrecked by Boston fresh off a seven game series. I expect the exact same thing to happen to Colorado tomorrow.

For some reason, fans seem to always overrate the value of rest in the playoffs while underestimating rust. Just like saying "home ice advantage" which isn't really an advantage at all anymore.

 

[LT]

Would be really f***ing nice to win a game one once in a while

 

[Dynamite Time]

See this being a really great back and forth 6/7 game series but I am nervous (will be pissed as well) the x-factor of PDB only playing 5-D again.

Hakanpaa doesn’t seem to be available yet but the coach needs to make a decision; can’t run on 5-D again after that first round.

 

[Spotty 2 Hotty]

Would be really f***ing nice to win a game one once in a while

I'm fine losing every Game 1 as long as we end up with 4 wins at the end of every series.

 

[serp]

They did that last season too and in the WCF they no longer had enough gas in tank to fight back from starting the series badly. You don't want to have to claw back into every series. Costs extra energy.

 

[catters078]

Haven't won a Game 1 since the Cup final in the bubble!

 

[roryjones]

Haven't won a Game 1 since the Cup final in the bubble!

 

[Siludin]

I just wanted somewhere to talk about how much I love Chris Tanev's game.
+6 through a 7 game series just absolutely dominating play from the back end without even touching the puck.
A true conductor.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

I won't use my tickets on Thursday and will put them up for sale. I figured I would offer them to my friends on HF first. If anyone is interested in them, they are Section 117, Row W, Seats 1-2. They are just above that ships railing, and the seats in front are 6 feet below, so there will be very few times your view will be obstructed. In the Stars shoot 2X end, about at the faceoff dots.

I'm offering them for my STH price of $370 for the pair. If interested, PM me off line and we will figure out the transfer.

 

[eartotheground]

I won't use my tickets on Thursday and will put them up for sale. I figured I would offer them to my friends on HF first. If anyone is interested in them, they are Section 117, Row W, Seats 1-2. They are just above that ships railing, and the seats in front are 6 feet below, so there will be very few times your view will be obstructed. In the Stars shoot 2X end, about at the faceoff dots.

I'm offering them for my STH price of $370 for the pair. If interested, PM me off line and we will figure out the transfer.

PM sent

 

[redbeardtx]

I won't use my tickets on Thursday and will put them up for sale. I figured I would offer them to my friends on HF first. If anyone is interested in them, they are Section 117, Row W, Seats 1-2. They are just above that ships railing, and the seats in front are 6 feet below, so there will be very few times your view will be obstructed. In the Stars shoot 2X end, about at the faceoff dots.

I'm offering them for my STH price of $370 for the pair. If interested, PM me off line and we will figure out the transfer.

Although I won't be able to go anyway, you are a gentleman and scholar for offering them here for cost. Legendary

 

[Kcb12345]

I need a top line of Robertson-Johnston-Stankoven ASAP

 

[roryjones]

There are several guys who have yet to show up. If they don’t start soon Dallas will go nowhere. Hintz, pavelski, duchene, Seguin and I know he has played well but Stankoven needs to score. Suter is 5th in playoff scoring. Hintz has 1 point in 8 games. It may be time to start calling guys out. Johnston can’t be expected to carry this entire team.

 

[Elysian]

I need a top line of Robertson-Johnston-Stankoven ASAP

Can't believe this hasn't happened at some point. Load it up.

 

[Troy McClure]

Is Hintz playing hurt?

 

[Frozen Failure]

Is Hintz playing hurt?

He's playing murdered, thats for sure.

(Yes, I'd wager on a lingering shoulder injury and a broken arm)

 

[Azzuri]

Its amazing we won that last series with as cold as a lot of our guys have gone. We said the Vegas series was tightly checked but no reason Duchene/Hintz/Seguin/Pavs/Stank can't score against Colorado. Either some of them can't elevate their finishing in playoff hockey (Seguin is notorious for this across his career) or we just got really unlucky with injuries/slumps at the wrong time.

Problem is now everything is compounding. Our vaunted depth can't score, so all games are close 1 game goals. Close 1 game goals need a lot of big minutes and tough grinding it out and/or OT which requires a lot of energy and injury chances. We've had 8 one-goal games and played more minutes than any other team due to our Game 7 series and the way we deploy our D. They're hurt, they're tired, and because of this games are going to be tight and require more opportunities to get even more hurt and tired.

I don't' see a way they win a Cup with this model. NYR/COL/FL had a week to rest which we've seen historically is highly correlated for Cup winners. Very few Cup winners do it on the backs of multiple Game 7 series and one goal games. They need a blowout at some point where they can coast a little. Problem is you can't do that against Colorado who loves to go down early and storm back, as we saw last night.