How Game 3 sparked hope and doubt for Dallas, Vegas

Hope is a powerful emotion.

So is doubt.

So is desperation.

The Stars learned a little bit about all three on Saturday night.

Dallas was down 0-2 to Vegas in the best-of-seven series after losing twice at home. A third loss would make it almost impossible to come back and win the series. Now, after a 3-2 OT win in which the Stars were visibly hungry, the series could be tied after Game 4 and heading back to Dallas.

“You can’t replicate desperation,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer after Game 3. “There’s no doubt we had to be the more desperate team tonight. They’re in a position where they didn’t have to be. We wanted to come in and make sure we did what we needed to do, which was win a game, and plant some seeds of doubt hopefully.”

That doubt had Vegas spinning for about 30 minutes of the game, but then the Golden Knights found their compass and played very well, tying the game and forcing overtime. It was a message in and of itself.

“They had a level of urgency that we weren't able to match,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “At some point you've got to get to your game. It just took us too long.”

All of that plays into the mental battles that each team – and each coach – is waging. Dallas was frustrated after the first two games. The Stars had significantly more scoring chances, but Vegas goalie Logan Thompson was up to the task. So they could feel sorry for themselves or they could make constructive changes. Injuries to Radek Faksa and Mason Marchment forced some lineup shuffling as Craig Smith and Ty Dellandrea entered play and DeBoer juggled his lines. That created a faster game for the Stars.

Not only did the personnel help, but the attitude, as well.

“I thought those guys gave us some real good juice, some good legs,” DeBoer said. “It’s a skating series and both of those guys can go.”

That’s part of the dynamic, too. Both players were good, so if the injured players are ready, do you put them in for either Smith or Dellandrea? Or for someone else? It’s the cat and mouse game of coaching strategy, and it seems clear no official decision will be made until start time for Game 4.

But inside all of that, Dallas now has hope. It believes it can win this series. On the flipside, Vegas has a little more doubt. This is such an intriguing First Round matchup, because the Golden Knights are one of the best teams in the league and actually have a better roster than they did last season when they won the Stanley Cup. The only reason they are the eighth seed is because they battled injuries all season.

Dallas, meanwhile, posted the best record in the West and have the personnel to win the Cup this year. But they also have struggled in head-to-head matchups with Vegas, so that becomes part of the stew of the series.

It really is a remarkable sports petri dish. If Vegas wins, nobody would be surprised, but the Stars would still feel terrible for going out in the First Round. If Dallas wins, they will likely feel they have overcome an immense challenge and will be fueled by even more confidence.

Dallas showed in the first 30 minutes that they can overwhelm even the defending champs. It showed in allowing Vegas to come back and tie the game that it can unravel at times. But in coming back after unraveling, it showed that it can navigate both highs and lows, and that’s important.

“It’s not just winning, it’s just as important how you win,” DeBoer said Sunday. “I think we were building toward that game. We finally got a complete effort. I think we’re getting an idea of how we have to play in this series in order to have success. We’ve got a good blueprint of how we want to play and I expect the next game to be a real tough game.”

That is the hope that maybe wasn’t there on Saturday afternoon. That is the confidence that is needed at times like this. The guess is the desperation might not be quite so high to start Game 4 for Dallas. The guess is it might be higher for Vegas. Could they have some doubt? Sure. Could they be more engaged than Game 3? Most definitely.

“I’m sure we’re going to see a response from Vegas next game,” DeBoer said. “We just need to keep building our game.”

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

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.