The Dallas Stars are set to match up against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of the second round of the NHL Playoffs on Friday at 9 p.m., where the Stars will attempt to close out the series and move into the Western Conference Finals.
Dallas is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Avalanche. The two teams played even through the first two periods, but two quick goals from Colorado in the third period allowed them to cruise to victory at American Airlines Center.
The Stars have been led this postseason by 24-year-old defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who contributed five goals and eight assists through their 12 playoff games.
Left wing Jason Robertson follows closely behind Heiskanen as the leader in total points for the Stars. He has accounted for nine assists and three goals during their first two series.
Colorado will enter the game as one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL, putting up four or more goals in seven of their 10 playoff games this year.
The Avalanche have been led by center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, who have each racked up a total of 14 points during their playoff series.
Dallas enters Game 6 as one of the best teams on the road, finishing with an NHL-best 26-10-5 record away from home during the regular season.
These road performances have translated to the playoffs as well, as the Stars have a record of 4-1 on the road through their 12 games in the postseason thus far.
However, the Avalanche were the best team in the NHL during the regular season while playing on their home ice, finishing the year with a record of 31-9-1.
One of the biggest keys to the Stars winning Game 6 will come from power play opportunities, but the team has struggled to convert in multiple games throughout this series.
These struggles culminated in Game 5 when the team scored just one goal during power plays despite having the advantage four separate times.
Another key to victory for the Stars will be goalie Jake Oettinger, who is coming off his worst performance of the postseason after giving up five goals and saving just 81.5% of shots sent his way.
Although Oettinger did not have his best performance in his most recent outing, he has played a significant role in getting the team to the second round, as he has prevented 91.4% of shots on goal from getting past him.
Oettinger’s teammates have voiced their belief that he will come prepared to shut down the Avalanche in Game 6, with Robertson saying that he is “probably the mentally toughest guy in this locker room.”
“I know it’s the hardest job in hockey to be a goalie, so he takes a lot of pride in his work. He’s going to flush it away and get ready for the next game,” he added.
A solid performance from Oettinger could help propel Dallas to victory and into the Western Conference Finals, where they would match up against either the Edmonton Oilers or the Vancouver Canucks.