The Dallas Stars will play the Las Vegas Golden Knights in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center.
Dallas is coming off a Game 6 in which the Knights shut them out despite getting 23 opportunities to put the puck in the net, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Stars have been led in this series by center Wyatt Johnston, who is pacing the team with three goals and three assists in the first six games.
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger has also been exceptional throughout the series, saving 92.1% of the shots sent his way and holding the Knights to under three goals in four of the six games.
The first five games for Vegas have all been about center Jack Eichel, who leads the team with three goals while also pacing it with four assists.
Although Knights goalie Logan Thompson saved 92.1% of the shots on goal during the first four games, the team opted to substitute Adin Hill for the remainder of the series.
Hill has been incredible for the Knights in the last two games, saving 93.8% of shots while holding the Stars scoreless in four of the six periods he played in.
Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer is entering the game with a perfect 7-0 record in Game 7s during his 16-year career as a coach, according to The NHL.
DeBoer spoke about the difficulty of winning a Game 7 and said he wished he knew of a speech that he could “regurgitate every time that would guarantee a win, but every one of those Game 7s has been different.”
“I just feel fortunate I’ve been able to coach in seven already. It’s why you coach, it’s why you play hockey. I’m excited for our group and our guys and our fans,” he added, per The NHL.
Dallas is set to play Game 7 without left wing Mason Marchment, who has already been listed on the injury report as out for an undisclosed reason.
Centers Radek Faksa and Tyler Seguin, as well as defenseman Jani Hakanpaa, are all entering the game with day-to-day designations, but the expectation is that all three will be prepared for the start of the game.
Vegas will be playing Game 7 without defenseman Nicolas Hague, who has not played since injuring his lower body late in Game 1.
Defensemen Noah Hanifin and Alex Pietrangelo, right wing Anthony Mantha, and center Chandler Stephenson are all currently listed as day-to-day but are expected to be available during the game.
The Stars enter Game 7 with their season on the line and an opportunity to move into the second round to face the Colorado Avalanche, who easily defeated the Winnipeg Jets in just five games.
Dallas and Vegas have been continually shifting the momentum between each other throughout the series, as the Knights quickly stole the first two games in Dallas to take a 2-0 series lead.
The Stars bounced back with three straight wins and an opportunity to close out the Knights in Game 6, but they will now be traveling back to American Airlines Center with plans to dismantle the Knights and move forward into the next round with a Game 7 victory.
