Stars’ Physicality, Goaltending, and Road Play are X-Factors in Playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs are ramping up the intensity as they enter day 5. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are locked in a battle of the ages.
Both teams are throwing the body around before heading to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.
This is anyone’s series now, turning into a best-of-5 with the Wild having home-ice advantage. The Stars need to perform on the road, a place where they haven’t played well in recent history.
Tensions are already sky-high over the first two games, making fireworks more likely Wednesday night. Jake Oettinger turned into classic Otter mode on Monday, tying the series.
This playoff series is far from over as it shifts to Minnesota for the next two games.
Physicality
Every playoff series has players willing to go to hell and back. They will throw their body around in an attempt to gain that competitive edge. Things came to a boiling point on Monday with many instances of enjoyable, gratuitous violence. Colin Blackwell laid out Yakov Trenin in an open-ice clean hit. The Stars took a shellacking themselves, being outhit 84-66 over the first two games. One of those hits was an egregious display by Marcus Foligno, putting Thomas Harley into a chokehold and attempting to shove his face into the boards.
Colin Blackwell, Mavrik Bourque, and Justin Hryckowian are leading the way with eight hits each so far. Expect more physicality on Wednesday night as each team battles for the series lead.
Goaltending
Goaltending is a factor in nearly every playoff series. Jake Oettinger is no stranger to drama and controversy in the playoffs, especially comments made about him in the Western Conference Final last year. Prime Jake Oettinger took the spotlight in Game 2. He stopped breakaways, close moments, and all power-play opportunities from the Wild on Monday, stopping 28/30 shots.
Stars fans got their first glimpse of playoff Oettinger. Backing up Anton Khudobin in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He appeared for 36 minutes in that Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, surrendering 0 goals. Oettinger stopped 64/67 in a relentless onslaught from the Calgary Flames in an overtime decision during that Game 7 loss. Oettinger is a great goaltender capable of slamming the door shut and stealing playoff games.
On the Road
The recent fly in the ointment for the Stars is their road playoff games. They played eight road games last season, only winning two. This is in stark contrast to their 2023-24 playoff run, during which they won six of nine road games. Minnesota is a tough place to play, and the Stars need to steal at least one on the road. If the Stars don’t win in Minnesota, they are staring down the barrel of a 3-1 series deficit. Momentum is on their side now. The Stars finished with a 24-9-8 road record this season, but that is the regular season. They are entering a place where there is no mercy. Each mistake in front of that crowd will send them into a frenzy.
There is a two-day break between Games 3 and 4. The Stars and their fans will feel much better with a Game 3 win.
Minnesota has three of the five remaining games of this series at home. To win the series, the Stars must win at least one in Minnesota. Both of these teams are mortal enemies, playing in a series that is far from over.
Winning four games against the other team for one of these teams is extremely difficult. The stakes are high on Wednesday night as they both look to take a 2-1 series lead heading into Saturday’s game.
No love is lost for these two teams. X-factor players need to provide in this series.
The Stars cannot win this series, or any subsequent games, without road victories. Oettinger must stand tall in a hostile environment for the next two games.
The Stars are getting outhit over the last two games, so their big boys need to step it up.
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