The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights have gone back and forth through six games. After Vegas took the first two matches and then Dallas the next three, their best-of-seven series is going the distance. On Friday night the Golden Knights eked by the Stars 2-0 to even their Round 1 series 3-3. Now, with a trip to the second round on the line, Sunday will showcase one of the great moments of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Game 7.
Defense and Goaltending Win the Day
In what was almost a perfect reflection of Friday’s other Game 6 between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, Dallas and Vegas spent the evening engaged in a brilliantly tight battle. It featured staunch defensive prowess on both sides, incredibly alluring scoring opportunities and, more than anything, exquisite goaltending. Even though the Stars lost, netminder Jake Oettinger could not be faulted for this one. He shielded his net from 28 of the 29 shots fired at him, with a handful of resplendent saves to his name.
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However, he was bested by Vegas’ Adin Hill. He had missed the first four games of the series. He was back in action in Game 5 for a tough 3-2 loss, but rebounded perfectly with a 23-save shutout in Game 6.
Truth be told, the final score could have been much higher than merely 2-0 were it not for the puck clanking off the posts, frustrating both sides throughout the night. The contest remained scoreless until 9:54 of the third period when Noah Hanifin took matters into his own hands. He collected the puck in Dallas’ zone, swirled around a defender and, recognizing the perfect screen in front of the Stars goalie, wristed home the game-winner. Mark Stone would add an empty netter late.
It’s do-or-die time. Come Sunday night, either the Golden Knights or Stars will have punched their ticket to the second round of the postseason.