Lessons learned: Stars talk how to respond in Game 2

For all the success the Stars have had in recent playoff runs, there is still a ton of adversity buried within each tour.

Fact is, the scar tissue has helped create a team that finished first in the Western Conference this season, and that should help as Dallas attempts to respond to a home loss in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

“In the history of this sport, you’ve got to lose a lot to figure out winning. I don’t know why that is, but it is what it is,” said forward Tyler Seguin. “You learn from different experiences and to get through that first step as a group, you’ve got to go through some tough times that can help guide you along the way.”

In 2019, the Stars lost in the Second Round to St. Louis in double overtime of Game 7. The Blues went on to win the Cup. The following season in the bubble, Dallas lost in six games to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2023, Dallas fell to Vegas in six games in the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights went on to take the Stanley Cup.

See a trend here?

Bottom line, the Stars have put themselves in a position where they can seriously consider themselves a contender to win it all in almost any season. And that’s an accomplishment in itself. But the real challenge is using the experiences to help take the next step.

“It’s an opportunity,” said Seguin. “I’ve been here a lot of years. In the first few, we didn’t talk about the Cup. We just talked about the organization going in the right direction. And then there were many years where we just scratched and clawed to get into a wild card spot. As of late, we’ve had years where there are more expectations. Right now, it seems like Stanley Cup or failure. That sounds negative, but it’s actually super exciting.”

And while it does create pressure for Game 2 on Wednesday at American Airlines Center, it also underscores just how much is on the line every game. Dallas lost Game 1 and Game 3 in each series against Minnesota and Seattle last season, but then came back to win each series. That kind of history can be good for a team.

“You can’t draw it up how you want to all of the time,” said goalie Jake Oettinger. “You take the good and learn from the bad.”

That said, coach Pete DeBoer would love for the Stars to start changing some things. Dallas was down in all three series in 2023 – getting down 3-0 to Vegas in the Conference Final – and that’s certainly not the most ideal way to attack the playoffs.

“You’re down in every series last year, so it’s not a perfect situation,” DeBoer said. “We’re here again and we have to deal with it. I’m not going to sugarcoat and say that it’s great, but I also have great confidence in our group that we will respond.”

In fact, the coach said playing from behind is not ideal in any situation. Dallas allowed the first goal early in Game 1 and then was never able to tie it up or take the lead. That’s something the team has to address.

“You can’t chase the game the whole series,” DeBoer said. “I thought we were chasing the game all night. We’ve got to make sure we fix that going forward.”

Dallas allowed the first goal in a game during the regular season 42 times. They scored first 40 times. That ranked 19th in the league. However, the Stars were the second best team in coming back in games as they had a .548 points percentage when trailing first. It was a topic for discussion the entire season. In fact, even during a 17-4-0 run to end the season, Dallas allowed the first goal in 10 of 21 games (winning eight of those 10). That’s both impressive and scary.

“It’s something we’ve done a lot, so we have to get away from that,” said forward Jason Robertson.

Robertson said the team is definitely addressing the situation after Game 1. Dallas took a penalty in the first minute Monday and allowed a power play goal against. It exited the first period trailing 3-2. That’s not a winning formula.

“It just shows it’s never easy,” Robertson said. “We’ve had those experiences last year, but what’s important is to come out and try to get the lead tomorrow.”

It's a strategy that has worked for teams who have won it all.

“It’s a testament to our character and our leadership that we can recover,” DeBoer said. “But it’s also a little bit of a red flag that we’re behind in games like that. That’s something we’ve got to fix.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.