DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars feel they need a strong start against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round.
Dallas fell behind 3-0 against Vegas in the Western Conference Final last season. The Stars came back to win Games 4 and 5 but lost the best-of-7 series in six. The Golden Knights went on to win the Stanley Cup.
“We know the importance of the early parts of the series, particularly last year,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said before Game 1 at American Airlines Center on Monday. “Losing the first two games in overtime and getting in that hole was essentially the series. We tried to climb back in, but you get in a hole, I think, against a really good team at this time of year early in the series, it’s really hard to climb out.”
Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy is not putting too much weight on Game 1. He said both times he went to the Stanley Cup Final, the first game was his team’s worst game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Boston Bruins lost 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. The Golden Knights lost 5-1 to the Winnipeg Jets last season.
“I don’t think it’s going to set the tone for your whole playoffs,” Cassidy said. “I don’t. I think most teams build, and they get better as it goes along, and they get comfortable with how you’re going to play and usage and your role, et cetera.”
The Golden Knights went 3-0-0 against the Stars in the regular season, but one win came in overtime and another in a shootout. The teams haven’t played each other since Dec. 9.
Here are 3 Keys for Game 1:
1. Chemistry
The Golden Knights will dress a lineup they never have before, with returning players mixing with new arrivals.
The biggest news is that forward Mark Stone, the captain, will play with center Tomas Hertl for the first time, both on a line and the power play. Stone missed the last 26 regular-season games with a lacerated spleen. Hertl was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 8 when he was recovering from knee surgery and has played only six games for the Golden Knights.
Vegas had a strong identity on its Cup run last season, and parts of that lineup are still intact.
“That’s what we’re relying on until the chemistry kicks in,” Cassidy said. “And it may not, right? We don’t know how each line is going to play out, and then we’ll make the necessary moves if we have to. But yes, that’s exactly what we’re relying on. Our guys have a clear understanding of how we need to play to win, and the quicker we can get to that, the better off we’ll be.”
2. Slot battles
The Stars must get to the front of the net.
In the conference final last season, Cassidy called it a “slot-battle series,” and the Golden Knights won it with a big, heavy defense corps that boxes out and blocks shots.
“You’ve got to go there,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said. “They can try to keep you out, which they’re going to do. It comes down to how determined you are to get there, and that’s where all the goals are scored in the playoffs.”
3. Goaltending
Logan Thompson will make his NHL playoff debut for the Golden Knights. He went 25-14-5 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in the regular season. Adin Hill, who started most of Vegas’ Cup run last season, went 19-12-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .909 save percentage.
“It wasn’t easy,” Cassidy said of the decision. “‘Hilly’ had a lot of success last year in the playoffs. His game hasn’t been at that level recently. It was at the start. He missed some time with injury. I think that had something to do with it. I thought Logan was pretty consistent down the stretch.”
Jake Oettinger will start for the Stars. He went 35-14-4 with a 2.72 GAA and .905 save percentage in the regular season.
“If we want to be the champs, it’s a good way to start, to have to take those guys down,” Oettinger said. “Obviously, great team, and they know how to win, so it’s going to be a fun challenge.”
Golden Knights projected lineup
Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Jonathan Marchessault
Chandler Stephenson -- Tomas Hertl -- Mark Stone
Brett Howden -- William Karlsson -- Anthony Mantha
William Carrier -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar
Noah Hanifin -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Zach Whitecloud -- Nicolas Hague
Logan Thompson
Adin Hill
Scratched: Michael Amadio, Paul Cotter, Pavel Dorofeyev, Ben Hutton, Alec Martinez
Injured: None
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Logan Stankoven
Sam Steel -- Radek Faksa -- Evgenii Dadonov
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter -- Nils Lundkvist
Jake Oettinger
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: Ty Dellandrea, Craig Smith
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)
Status report
Pietrangelo will play after having an appendectomy last week. … Carrier is expected to play; he missed the final 11 regular-season games with an undisclosed injury, and Mantha will also play after missing the regular-season finale (undisclosed) April 18. … The Stars held an optional morning skate Monday.
