The Dallas Stars are set to take on the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 tonight as both teams look to take a commanding 3-2 series lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Dallas is coming off a difficult 4-0 loss in Game 4 and is now looking to bounce back and reclaim the series lead, with the team returning to American Airlines Center for the first time since Game 2.
Stars forward Tyler Seguin said after Game 4 that Colorado is a “good hockey team” and that Dallas never expected this series to be over quickly.
“They responded tonight and we’ve got a chance to do that at home in a couple of days. We never thought this was going to be won in four or five games, so we’re excited to respond at home,” he added, per NHL.com.
Dallas has been led in this series by defenseman Thomas Harley, who has put up two assists and one goal to lead the Stars with three total points.
Although the offense has put together multiple solid performances through the first four games of this series, the real key to the Stars’ two victories has been the goalkeeping.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has allowed 11 goals in this series but has also saved 91.1% of the shots sent his way.
However, Oettinger has performed well in the Stars’ two overtime victories, finishing Game 2 with 34 saves and Game 3 with 27 saves.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said on Sunday that he is still confident in how the team has been performing, noting that this is growth from where the team was earlier in the season.
“If you had told me at Christmas we were going to go into the First Round of the playoffs against Colorado, and we were going to be without Heiskanen and Jason Robertson, and we’d be 2-2 coming home with home ice advantage, I think I would have been pretty happy,” he said, per NHL.com.
“Sometimes, you have to have that perspective that this group has battled pretty hard under some serious adversity and we’re in a pretty good spot.”
A win in Game 5 will give the Stars a dominant lead in the series and a chance to advance into the second round with one more win, though another loss would put Dallas in the opposite scenario.