Stars look to close out Golden Knights in Game 6 after falling behind 2-0

DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars felt better getting on a plane for Las Vegas on Thursday than they did last week.

It looked bleak when they lost the first two games of the Western Conference First Round to the Vegas Golden Knights at home. But now they have a chance to eliminate them in Game 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MAX, truTV, TNT, BSSW, SN360, SN, TVAS).

“I think when you win three in a row in the playoffs against the same team, your confidence is usually in a really good place,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said at the airport. “They’re the defending Stanley Cup champions, so you know they’re going to bounce back. There won’t be a tougher group to try to eliminate than the former champions, so we’ve got to be prepared for that.”

The Stars were the top seed in the Western Conference and finished one point behind the New York Rangers for the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the most points in the regular season.

Their reward?

A matchup with the Golden Knights, who were deceiving as the second wild card in the West. They defeated the Stars in six games in the Western Conference Final on their way to the Cup last season, and they went 3-0-0 against them in the regular season.

“It’s not a typical one-eight first-round matchup,” DeBoer said. “The only reason they’re in the eight hole is because of injuries and because of the way their season went. Otherwise, they’re probably fighting for the Presidents’ Trophy. So, it’s more like a final or a conference final that we’ve jumped into right out of regular-season play, and we recognize that.

“I think we look at it, though, like, ‘If we can get through this, we’re going to be tougher and more weathered and better for it.’”

The Golden Knights began the series with a healthy lineup, most notably with captain Mark Stone returning after missing the last 26 games of the regular season with a lacerated spleen. The Stars lost 4-3 in Game 1 on April 22 and 3-1 in Game 2 on April 24 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

When Game 3 went to overtime at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dallas was one shot away from falling behind Vegas 3-0 in a series for the second straight season. But forward Wyatt Johnston scored to give the Stars a 3-2 win, a turning point.

They won 4-2 in Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Monday and 3-2 in Game 5 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday.

“Just resilient,” defenseman Chris Tanev said at the airport. “Willing to do what it takes. Obviously, it’s playoffs, a tough time. You’re going to go through a lot of ups and downs. Put ourselves in a good spot right now.”

The Stars have every reason to be confident.

They have veterans who have been through this situation before, and their young players are rising to the occasion. The last three game-winners have been scored by forwards aged 24 or younger: Johnston (20) in Game 3, Ty Dellandrea (23) in Game 4 and Jason Robertson (24) in Game 5. Another young forward, Logan Stankoven (21), had a beautiful assist in Game 5.

Goalie Jake Oettinger has been at his best when it has mattered most. He has stopped all 55 shots he has faced in the third period and overtime in the series, including 42 over the past three wins. He stoned forward Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway with 2:44 left in the third period of Game 5.

“He’s heating up at the right time,” DeBoer said of Oettinger. “That was a critical moment. Those are the kind of moments you look back, hopefully at the end of a really long playoff run here and a championship, and go, ‘That was a defining moment in our playoff run.’ Let’s hope that’s how we look at it.”

The series has been tight. Each game has been decided by one goal or one goal plus an empty-netter. Dallas has scored 14 goals, Vegas 13. Dallas has 116 shots at 5-on-5, Vegas 113.

But throughout the series, the Stars have felt they have been building their game, and the results have been trending in that direction.

“Just stay the course,” Tanev said. “I think we want to play how we’ve been playing -- play fast, try to play in their end as much as possible and obviously limit their chances.”

One more win and the Stars should be tougher, more weathered and better entering the second round against the Colorado Avalanche.

“It’s always the toughest game to win, is the elimination game,” DeBoer said. “It’s always the toughest to put a team away and send them home for the summer. We know that going in, especially in that building, tough building.

“But we like the momentum and the roll we’re on. We’ve won three in a row. I think we’ve got a good game plan. I think the guys are hungry and confident and excited. If it ends up in Game 7, we’re glad it’s back in Dallas.”