Stars forced to fight through another injury with Faksa out

Game 4: Stars vs. Golden Knights (Dallas leads 2-1)

The Stars have been playing most of the playoffs without one of their most valuable players in Ben Bishop, so they definitely know how to overcome injuries.
However, missing Radek Faksa in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final is significant. The leader of the team's checking line, Faksa brings physicality, energy and smarts.
Faksa appeared to hurt his hand in Game 3 in a collision with Vegas forward Alex Tuch. In a postgame dressing room video, he had his hand taped up with ice. Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said at the morning skate he is listed as "unfit to play."
Faksa is averaging 16:09 in time on ice, third among forwards, and also has taken the most faceoffs on the team. He plays on both the power play and the penalty kill, so his absence will be notable. Faksa has three goals and five assists for eight points in 19 playoff games. He plays on both the power play and the penalty kill, and is second among forwards in shorthanded time on ice at 2:17.

Bowness did not offer information on lineup changes after the morning skate, but it's easy to guess that veteran Andrew Cogliano will return after missing Game 7 against Colorado with an injury and then missing the first three games against Vegas as a healthy scratch.
Cogliano has no points in 15 playoff games and is among the lowest forwards in average ice time at 12:24 per game, but he kills penalties and also does a good job of disrupting the opposition with his speed and tenacity on the forecheck.
The guess is he will go back onto his old line with Blake Comeau and that Jason Dickinson will take Faksa's place at center on that line. That would allow the Stars to keep their lines from Game 3 the same if they so choose. Dallas had Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov flanking Tyler Seguin on the top line, Mattias Janmark and Denis Gurianov with Joe Pavelski on the second line, and Joel Kiviranta and Corey Perry with Roope Hintz on the last line.
Bowness said that Bishop, Taylor Fedun and Stephen Johns are still "unfit to play," the NHL's tag for any player who is sick or injured.

Is first goal key to victory?

In NHL history, scoring the first goal is always a good sign.
Dallas is 7-2-0 in the playoffs when scoring first and Vegas is 10-1-0. The team that has scored first in the first three games has won each time in this series.
Vegas coach Pete DeBoer believes that it is not only a good thing statistically for the Golden Knights to focus on, but that it really does affect how the Stars play.
"Through three games I think what we've learned is Dallas is a very good defensive team and plays well within their structure, and it's a lot easier for them to play within that when the game is tied or they have the lead," DeBoer said. "For two of the three games that's been the case. In Game 2 we got them in a hole and they had to come out of that structure and open it up to do that, and all of a sudden there's a lot more room for us to make plays."

Bowness said he agrees with the philosophy in theory.
"When you're chasing the game, you end up taking penalties, which we did in Game 2," Bowness said. "Some penalties are good penalties, the ones we are taking are not."
Also, the Stars do have a history of coming back from two- and three-goal deficits this season, so they know how to dig themselves out of a hole.
"I don't know if it's a trend," Bowness said. "Honestly, I just wouldn't read too much into it."

Home ice not that big of a deal

The Stars will be the home team in Game 4. They are 4-4-0 in the playoffs on home ice and are 7-4-0 on the road.
Now, that's an amusing stat, because all of the games are being played in the Edmonton bubble at the same rink. Still, home teams do get last change and there is some piped in atmosphere, so that could help some, right?

"You can feel it a little bit," Pavelski said. "Obviously the last change, you pay a little attention to match-ups. But you don't have that initial feeling of going on the road or playing Vegas at home. There are certain things you feel, there are certain things that are missing, as well."
Bowness was more direct when he was asked if having home ice makes a difference.
"No," he said. "It's last change … and that's it."

By the numbers

4-1

Vegas is 4-1 in games following a loss in the playoffs. Dallas is 4-3 following a win.

Plus-35

That's the SAT total (shot attempt differential at even strength) for Gurianov, which leads the Stars. He is tied for the team lead in goals at eight, is third in points at 15, and is fourth in hits at 61.

92

That's the amount of playoff games for Cogliano. If he plays tonight, it will move to 93. Cogliano, 33, has played 1,012 regular season games.

He said it

"We are getting quality chances, that's what the numbers say. We've got to stick them into the net. You can't coach the puck into the net, but you can coach making it tougher on the goalie. That's an area we have to concentrate on -- more traffic."
-- DeBoer on the fact his team had just two goals on 40 shots against Anton Khudobin in Game 3. Vegas has just 10 goals in the past six games.
Stars projected lineup
Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark - Joe Pavelski - Denis Gurianov
Andrew Cogliano - Jason Dickinson - Blake Comeau
Joel Kiviranta - Roope Hintz - Corey Perry
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Jamie Oleksiak - Miro Heiskanen
Joel Hanley - Andrej Sekera
Anton Khudobin
Jake Oettinger
Unfit to Play: Radek Faksa, Stephen Johns, Ben Bishop, Taylor Fedun
Scratched:Justin Dowling, Jason Robertson, Ty Dellandrea, Thomas Harley, Joel Kiviranta, Nick Caamano, Gavin Bayreuther, Landon Bow
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.