Stars must find the balance between calmness and urgency in Game 2

The last time the Stars lost consecutive games was March 14 and 16.

That's a run of 27 games, including 14 in the playoffs. It's been a huge trait of the team this season, bouncing back after a loss. That goes for goalie Jake Oettinger, who is 22-1-3 after losses this season, and for the team as a whole. But as much as this team has experience bouncing back in the two previous rounds from Game 1 losses, there is a different kind of urgency in the Western Conference Final.

"There's a balance between all that, I think," forward Tyler Seguin said. "It's definitely about finding that neutral of, we've done this every round. We didn't want to do this every round, but here we are again. We just have to continue responding like we have all year."

In a lot of ways, this round is potentially better for the Stars. They are starting on the road, so getting a win in Game 2 and a potential split would be a major advantage. In the first two rounds, they were starting at home and really had a must-win attitude in Game 2. All of that said, the Stars know they have to be better than they were in a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Dallas must have a more explosive start, execute better throughout, and find that balance between calm and urgent.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer has been called a calming force throughout the playoffs but told the media on Saturday he didn't feel that was the case after Game 1.

"I was less calm this morning," DeBoer said. "Every round I'm getting a little less calm in these situations."

All three Game 1 loses were in overtime, so that is frustrating. Dallas lost in 1:35 of OT on Friday, which is also frustrating. So DeBoer is trying to impress upon his troops that there are some improvements that need to be made . . . and quickly.

"I wish we wouldn't have to respond, so I think that's my problem with it," DeBoer said. "I think we have to get a little more consistency to our game, but to our group's credit, they're an honest group, and we have honest conversations of the things we need to fix."

Dallas also has the challenge of an early start, as the puck drop is scheduled for noon local time. It's just one more of the challenges the team will have to manage. Veteran forward and longtime DeBoer friend Joe Pavelski said he expects the team to be ready. Even though DeBoer said he wasn't patient in his talk with the team, Pavelski said there was plenty of wisdom in the message.

"Even in that message today, there was still a sense of calm," Pavelski said. "We're in the Conference Final, there's a great opportunity in front of us, and we're staring at a really good team. It's hard to get to this place, and there has to be an urgency in our game, but he's been steady all year. That's one of the things about this group, is he has relied on how we're going to respond. It's on the players at the end of the day to go out and execute and compete."

And that's something that Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said he expects.

"I don't think it's going to faze them," Cassidy said. "I just think response is the beauty of playoffs. That's why you're still playing, because you have a lot of character and you're going to be upset because you didn't get your best game. That will be our goal . . . to manage that, elevate our game."

Key Numbers

43 percent

Dallas entered Game 1 leading the playoffs in faceoff winning percentage at 57.1 percent. However, the Stars won 43 percent of the draws in Game 1. Chandler Stephenson, who has won 56.9 percent in the playoffs, went 11-7 for Vegas.

6

Both Seguin and Wyatt Johnston had six shots on goal for the Stars in Game 1. Seguin is second on Dallas for the playoffs with 43 shots on goal, while Johnston is third with 40.

.930

In six playoff games this year, Vegas goalie Adin Hill has a 2.34 GAA and .930 save percentage. Hill, 27, had not played a playoff game before being called upon this year. He is 4-1 so far.

He said it

"You saw by his reaction, it's a weight off of him, obviously. We needed that to happen. We needed it to happen early in the series. Hopefully he turns that into one of his streaks that he's been pretty legendary for here."

• Stars coach Pete DeBoer on regular season leading scorer Jason Robertson getting his first even strength goal of the playoffs in Game 1.

Expected lineup

Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Benn-Johnston-Dadonov
Marchment-Domi-Seguin
Kiviranta-Faksa-Glendening

Suter-Heiskanen
Lindell-Miller
Harley-Hanley

Oettinger
Wedgewood

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Video: Seguin on being back in The Conference Finals is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter Video: Seguin on being back in The Conference Finals