The Dallas Stars were in an awful predicament to start these playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights. The top seed in the Western Conference, they dropped back-to-back games at home to fall down 2-0. They were in sweep territory as they took on the Golden Knights on the road, but they countered with two victories of their own to tie the series, setting up a massive Game 5 for both sides.
On their home ice, the Stars took care of business and beat Vegas 3-2 to take their first lead of the series. The Golden Knights now find themselves facing elimination as they await Game 6.
After starting the first four contests of the series, Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson got some rest in this one as Adin Hill took his place. He stopped 22 of the Stars’ 25 shots, serving as the worst single-game save percentage for the Golden Knights thus far. How did Dallas get to him so well?
Stars’ Young Guns Seize the Day
For starters, the youngsters on the Stars came up huge. 21-year-old Logan Stankoven had a primary assist on Dallas’ first goal, while 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston had two assists, moving to a team-high six points for the series. The two have been invaluable assets to the Stars, showing up beyond just the stat sheet. They made high-end plays all night long.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger is still just 25 years old himself, and he had one of his most impressive outings of the series. He stopped 25 of Vegas’ 27 shots with a lot of those being high-quality looks. He allowed two goals in the first period, but after that, he was a brick wall.
In a complete shift of events, this series could be decided on Friday, May 3, but not in the way that the Golden Knights ever could have anticipated. In their home at T-Mobile Arena, they will need a victory to keep their season–and bid for back-to-back Stanley Cups–alive. They have won 27 of 43 games at home overall in 2023-24, while the Stars have won 28 of 43 contests on the road.