Pavelski's quiet leadership needed for Stars in Game 3 of West Final

LAS VEGAS --Tyler Seguin remembered a conversation he had with Joe Pavelski a few months after the latter signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2019.

"We're on the plane and I look at him and he's talking," Seguin said. "He had a slow start with us and for a normal guy, it would probably be a little in his head or being a little frustrated and he's the happiest guy in the world. He's unfazed and that leadership, and those qualities he brings to us, make us a much better group."

Pavelski's ability to be unfazed is something the Stars will need as a group when they play the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS). The Stars trail the best-of-7 series 2-0 after two overtime losses at T-Mobile Arena.

The 38-year-old forward has been a steady presence on and off the ice. He has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games, third on the Stars behind linemates Roope Hintz (22 points; 10 goals, 12 assists) and Jason Robertson (15; four goals, 11 assists). He leads Dallas with three game-winning goals.

"He has a great effect on our group," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. "And I've said this before: any teams that get to this point in the season, their best players are their most honest players or you don't get this far. If your best players are taking shortcuts or cheating or cheating for offense, you're not getting to this point, and I think Joe lives by that creed.

"If your best players are doing that, it's really hard for the rest of the group not to follow that, so he's the conscience of our group. He's out there blocking shots at 38 years old. With the career he's had, how many goals he's scored and all the accolades he's had, how do you sit on the bench and not take your turn and do the same thing?"

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Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Pavelski has a "high hockey IQ," similar to Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, who Cassidy coached in Boston from 2016-22.

"When you watch them probably in practice, if you just came and didn't know the team, you probably wouldn't pick them as an elite player," Cassidy said. "But they get in games, the game slows down for them, and they know how to process.

"The play Pavelski made on Hintz's goal (in Game 1), it's on and off his stick. He knew exactly where everyone was, hits in him stride. Those are the little things you think are easy but to make that play on time with good defenders is not. The hand-eye coordination speaks for itself. Obviously, he's an inspirational guy in the room, so he's probably doing everything right off the ice. Good for him."

Pavelski was captain of the San Jose Sharks from 2015-19 and said he had a great support group around him, including former NHL forwards Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joel Ward and defenseman Paul Martin.

"When I came to Dallas, all I wanted to do was support (Stars captain) Jamie (Benn) and know what a big job and probably what he's feeling at times with it," he said. "Just add extra stuff on the side wherever I could because you understand as a player, you just want to help your teammates and you just want them to help you."

The Stars are in a fight for their playoff lives right now. They'll need their best players, their leaders to take the reins, to not be fazed by what happened in the first two games.

Pavelski is a big part of that.

"That was something I took throughout my career is you want to show up," he said. "You want to compete for the guys next to you because that's what you expect of them and that's probably the No. 1 thing with leadership: Just show up and play, compete, try to help guys have them help you and then just be a group that's excited to be out there together."