The Dallas Stars need just one win to reach the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff semifinals, and if they’re in an advantageous position, it’s because of the performance of their players. -keys.
Since the start of the playoffs, the best elements of head coach Peter DeBoer’s lineup have actually occupied the top of the pavement. With two goals and an assist in game five of the second round against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, Roope Hintz joined the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl at the top of the Bettman league; He has 18 points in 11 postseason games after amassing 75 points in the regular season.
Then Jason Robertson (11), Max Domi (10) and Jamie Benn (10) each have at least ten points, while Joe Pavelski has nine points despite a five-game absence due to a body check. by Minnesota Wild Matthew Dumba. As such, DeBoer is grateful for the contribution of his staunch supporters, particularly Hintz, a key player in the 5-2 win that gave the Stars a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
“He was a dominant player for us and asserted himself in the most important moments. It was obviously a crucial game and within the first 10 minutes he let everyone in the building know he was there to play. He pretty much single-handedly ran our group, which he has done for much of the entire series,” DeBoer told NHL.com.
However, the contribution of each individual remains essential to accumulate victories in the spring. The stars think they got the message.
“Everyone has to go the extra mile. These are the series games you want to play. You want to play, fight and compete for your teammates, your goalkeeper, your fans and everything else. “These encounters are fun,” Robertson said.
Nothing is lost
Everyone on the Seattle side knows how dire the situation is and wants to redouble their zeal to stage a crucial comeback.
“They are talented, big and fast no matter what qualifiers you want to use. But I think we played really good hockey,” said defenseman Adam Larsson. I’m confident that we can return to this series. It’s far from over. We just have to regroup and keep moving forward.”
Apart from the fact that in addition to the work, it also takes logical decisions on the ice and a strategy that works, says striker Jordan Eberle.
“We want to play aggressively, tiptoe and skate. […] You want to build a fast formation, but you have to be smart, he said. We can’t jump all over the place and concede too many chances to score. We must count on some existing experience to help us decide when to do this and when not to do that. Even if you are 98% sure, the puck will end up in our net in the remaining 2%. So let’s find a way to continue playing like this and reduce the opponent’s chances.”
The sixth Stars Kraken game takes place Saturday at 7pm on TVA Sports.