Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Pick & Prediction MAY 27th 2023
Ryan Davis
Thanks to Joe Pavelski's record-setting power-play goal in overtime, the Dallas Stars staved off elimination in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
But there's still a long road -- make that a very long road -- for Peter DeBoer's squad to maneuver if they hope to join the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Their best-of-seven series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Saturday night.
Teams that hold a 3-0 series lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series, as Vegas did entering Thursday's loss, own an all-time record of 201-4 (98 percent). That includes 47-0 in the round before the Stanley Cup Final.
So while Pavelski's fourth career overtime goal in the playoffs -- a one-timer from the left circle off Miro Heiskanen's feed -- may have been a feel-good moment for Dallas, there still is a mighty big mountain for the Stars to climb.
"These overtime games are a lot of fun," said Pavelski, who became the oldest player in NHL history (38 years, 318 days) to score an overtime goal in a potential elimination game. "They're a lot more fun when you win them. That's for sure.
"It's a big win. It's a start for us. We know our situation. That's how (Vegas) got it going, with an overtime win (in Game 1). It's nice to get one here and build from there. This is one win. I'm not going to look too much ahead than the next game. There's no reason to."
Vegas won the first two games of the series in Las Vegas by 4-3 and 3-2 scores, both in overtime, before blowing out the Stars 4-0 in Game 3 in Dallas.
The Stars lost captain Jamie Benn to a match major and game misconduct for cross-checking Mark Stone just 1:53 into that loss. Benn was later assessed a two-game suspension for the incident that will also keep him out of Game 5. Forward Evgenii Dadonov suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of that contest and also won't make the trip to Las Vegas.
With the long odds of a series comeback still facing them, it would have been easy to understand if the Stars checked out heading into Game 4. Instead, it was the Golden Knights who were left questioning their effort afterward. The Stars sliced through the Vegas defense for 42 shots and finished with an eye-popping 46-23 edge in hits.
"Our effort level, I don't think it was good enough," said center Jonathan Marchessault, who gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead early in the third period with his eighth goal of the playoffs. "Closing a series is probably the hardest game of the series to win, right? Just not good enough for our group.
"We were trying to play the right way but I think their desperation was higher than ours. At this time of year it's not about X's and O's, it's about who wants it more. And I thought they wanted it more than us."
DeBoer had no such complaints. He was especially happy with the play of goaltender Jake Oettinger, who made 37 saves, including a key point-blank stop of Jack Eichel at the end of a two-on-one break. Oettinger had been pulled after allowing three goals on just five shots in Game 3.
"Great response," DeBoer said. "Jake's been that guy all year. ... I don't think you've seen the best of him yet. We had a great mindset tonight. We had great energy. We had focus. We wanted to take care of business and we did. Now you've got to do it again."
And again. And again.
--Field Level Media
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Recap MAY 21TH 2023
Brett Howden scored 1:35 into overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night in Las Vegas.
Howden retrieved a Mark Stone shot behind the goal and then banked in a shot off the back of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger's left leg into the net for his first career playoff overtime goal.
The Stars had tied the game when Jamie Benn scored with 1:59 remaining in regulation.
William Karlsson scored two goals, Teddy Blueger also scored and Zach Whitecloud had two assists for Vegas. Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill made 33 saves.
Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists while Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Joe Pavelski added two assists, and Oettinger finished with 33 saves.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas
Dallas then took advantage of an odd bounce off the corner boards to take a 1-0 lead at the 18:44 mark of the first period. Alex Pietrangelo's clearing pass from behind the goal bounced off the boards into the center of the left circle, where Hintz picked it up and threw a shot toward the goal that Robertson redirected through Hill's pads.
Robertson notched his third goal of the playoffs while snapping an eight-game goal drought.
The bad bounces evened out midway through the second period when Karlsson tied it 1-1. Whitecloud blasted a shot from the right point. The puck caromed off the end boards straight to Karlsson rushing past the left side of the goal, where he whistled a wrist shot into an open net.
Karlsson gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at the 1:19 mark of the third period when he picked up a loose puck and fired a wrist shot from the high slot through Oettinger's pads for his seventh goal of the playoffs.
The Golden Knights' lead didn't last long. Hintz took a crossing pass from Pavelski in the left circle and then snapped a shot off the near post. It was Hintz's 10th goal.
Blueger, who didn't play in the first nine playoff games for Vegas, put the Golden Knights ahead 3-2 at the 9:20 mark of the third with his first goal of the playoffs. He shoveled in a loose puck from the crease after Keegan Kolesar, hit by Ryan Suter, crashed into Oettinger on a drive to the net.
Dallas decided not to challenge for goaltender interference on the play.
The Stars pulled Oettinger for an extra attacker and Benn tied it at 18:01 when he slid in a Pavelski back-heel kick pass under Hill's left pad during a goal-mouth scramble. It was his third goal of the playoffs. Hintz also got an assist, giving him a league-leading 22 points in the playoffs.
--Field Level Media