LAS VEGAS -- Peter DeBoer said it after their Game 1 loss on Friday and again on Saturday: The Dallas Stars have to find a way to win overtime games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Yet there the Stars were again on Sunday, dealing with another overtime loss, their second in a row and fourth of this postseason, and figuring out why overtime has been so difficult hasn't been easy.
"I mean, I don't have the answer to that," the Dallas coach said after a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena.
"That's part of the playoff journey, the teams that go deep find ways to win in overtime. I really liked our game tonight, thought we did a bunch of really good things, fixed a lot of things from Game 1. I thought Jack Eichel and (Jonathan) Marchessault make a big-time play there to tie it. We respond. Our chance in overtime was as good or better than theirs. We just have to stick them in the net."
Going back to last year's playoffs, the Stars are 0-5 in playoff overtime games. They lost 3-2 to the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round.
This Western Finall will now shift to Dallas, where Game 3 will be at American Airlines Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, TVAS, SN).
As DeBoer said, the Stars did play better in Game 2. They limited the Golden Knights' chances, especially through the first two periods when Vegas had a combined 10 shots on goal. Forward Jason Robertson's power-play goal, his second goal in as many games, gave Dallas a 2-1 lead 9:21 into the second period.
"Obviously, special teams is important. We want to be good on special teams the whole series," Robertson said. "You've got to take what you can, those opportunities don't come often. We got one, but we need to work on it, keep practicing, work on things and try to get more."
The Golden Knights had a push late in the third period. Stars defenseman Ryan Suter threw a pass behind Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger's net that went to Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev, who passed to Jack Eichel. Then Eichel made a slick backhand pass to Marchessault, who scored to tie it with 2:22 remaining in regulation.
"I don't know if the goalie was pulled yet, but just a breakdown," Robertson said. "I mean, stuff happens. It's a fast game out there, they're a great team, they're going to create opportunities. We just have to stick together and keep playing, keep being structured, and we didn't do that in overtime."
Asked what he would've wanted to do differently on that play, Suter said: "That's for us to talk about. Yeah, obviously it wasn't the right play and it ended up costing us."
DeBoer wasn't assessing blame to Suter.
"We played a [heck] of a game tonight, and there are mistakes made and they cashed in," he said. "They made a real good play. Jack Eichel, that's a world-class pass."
The Stars had a good scoring opportunity from forward Wyatt Johnston 28 seconds into overtime. It didn't go in. Forty-four seconds later, Chandler Stephenson's rebound shot did.
"If we score on that (Johnston chance), the series is 1-1 but they got the bounce there and scored on that," Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen said. "So yeah, of course, little details and tough bounces sometimes. But we have to go out there and attack and try to score a goal."
The Stars aren't in the greatest spot, but they're taking solace in the fact that Game 2 was much better than Game 1. Now they're going home, where they're 5-2 in the playoffs. Overtime hockey has not been their forte, but they're confident that they can get back in the series.
"I mean, sure," DeBoer said. "We could've won both games. They held serve at home, we've got to go and do the same thing. I don't think it's less troubling that we lost both games in overtime. I think the positive piece is that we played a much better game tonight, and if we play that type of game, we've got a chance to win when we go home."
