The Dallas Stars will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stars (52-21-9), the Central Division champions and No. 1 seed in the West, will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series. The Golden Knights (45-29-8), the defending Stanley Cup champions, are the second wild card into the playoffs from the West.
Game 1 is at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN360, TVAS).
Dallas and Vegas have faced each other twice before in the playoffs; the Stars won in five games in the 2020 Western Conference Final and the Golden Knights won in six games in the conference final last season on the way to their Cup title.
Vegas swept the three-game regular-season series between the two teams; the Golden Knights won 3-2 in a shootout in Las Vegas on Oct. 17, 2-1 in overtime at Dallas on Nov. 22 and 6-1 at Dallas on Dec. 9.
Who will win this series? That's the question before staff writers Tracey Myers and Tom Gulitti in this playoff edition of State Your Case.
Myers: I’m big on the Stars this season, Tom. I think this is the year they get to the promised land and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1999. I mean, they unveiled the statue of Mike Modano behind American Airlines Center so it’s kismet, right? Anyway, I think it’ll be a tough series against the Golden Knights, as it was last year when Vegas eliminated Dallas in six games in the Western Conference Final (three games went to overtime, by the way). But I believe the Stars will prevail. As strong as they were last season, they’re better this year. Their forward depth is tremendous. Signing Matt Duchene on July 1 has been a boon and goalie Jake Oettinger finished this season in top form. I just believe Dallas has all the pieces in place and is going to get the best of Vegas in the first round.
Gulitti: I also have been very impressed with the Stars, Tracey. They have one of deepest, most-talented teams in the NHL and had a terrific season, finishing one point behind the New York Rangers for the Presidents’ Trophy. That’s why I kind of feel sorry for them. Their reward for such a great season is facing the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round of the playoffs. And as you mentioned, the Golden Knights also happen to be the team that eliminated the Stars in the playoffs last season. Dallas might be catching the Golden Knights at the worst possible time; they're getting back to full strength with captain Mark Stone close to returning from a lacerated spleen and getting even stronger by adding defenseman Noah Hanifin and forwards Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Almost all the Stanley Cup core is back with Stone, centers Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, forward Jonathan Marchessault, defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore and Adin Hill and Logan Thompson in net. Repeating as Cup champions is difficult, but this team knows how to win.
Myers: For sure, the Golden Knights’ health is a big factor here, and they’re getting guys back at the right time. For the Stars, however, they’ve been fortunate with health throughout the season. Dallas has been careful with forward Tyler Seguin, who missed 11 games with a lower-body injury earlier this season, but its depth has been key. Speaking of deadline acquisitions, the Stars getting Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames has helped solidify their defense. But it still goes back to the Dallas forwards for me. Six of them had at least 60 points this season, led by Jason Robertson’s 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games. Joe Pavelski is ageless. Wyatt Johnston has continued to become one of their best players in his second season. As formidable as the healthy Golden Knights will be, a healthy and deep Stars team gets the nod from me (sorry, I didn’t mean to rhyme there).
Gulitti: If this were a debate in which I had to rhyme my response, I would be no match for Tracey. Fortunately, that’s not the case. There is a lot to like about the Stars and their mix of veterans and young talent. But I like the Golden Knights’ depth and balance, too. Marchessault, the Conn Smythe winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs last season, led Vegas with 69 points (NHL career-high 42 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games and Eichel had 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists) in 63 games. Karlsson hit 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) in 70 games and Stone probably would have if he hadn’t been injured, settling for 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 56 games. Vegas had some ups and downs after springing to an 11-0-1 start, but seemed to recapture its winning formula late in the season, going 12-6-1 in its final 19 games. The Golden Knights will have get back to the defending the way they did in the playoffs last season to handle the Stars' offensive firepower, but they have shown they can do it. Pick against the defending champions at your own risk.
