Things certainly looked bleak for the Dallas Stars at the start of their first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They had home ice in the series, but dropped the first two games, putting themselves in a massive hole.
Not only would the Stars need to win four out of the last five games to advance, but at least two of those victories would have to come at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. They wasted no time in accomplishing that goal, as Dallas won Games 3 and 4 on the road, seizing home ice back.
With the teams alternating victories at their home arenas in Games 5 and 6, it all came down to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Dallas. It was one the Stars came away victorious in, defeating the Golden Knights 2-1 to advance to the second round.
The game-winning goal was scored by Radek Faksa, one of the longest-tenured players on the Dallas Stars. Only Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have been with the franchise longer, but Sunday night was Faksa’s night.
A fourth-line center, Faksa scored 44 seconds into the third period, giving the team a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. He was able to keep a promise to his son, scoring in his return to the lineup after a four-game absence for an undisclosed injury.
“I’m happy I did,” Faksa said. “And so I can show him the video in the morning, and we can watch it together.”
Goalie Jake Oettinger had 21 saves in his second Game 7 victory of his career. It was a strong game for Oettinger, who happened to also take the only penalty of the evening for his team when he tripped Ivan Barbashev midway through the third period.
That presented Vegas with a golden opportunity to get an equalizing goal, but it never materialized. The penalty was killed off and the Stars were able to keep pressure away from Oettinger for a majority of the night.
“The last period was a clinic. Just so proud of the guys of how we responded,” Oettinger said. “It’s a long playoffs, and you’re going to need different guys to step up at different times. A lot of hockey left, so hopefully a lot more heroes. It’s going to be a fun ride.”
The Dallas Stars, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, will now be taking on the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche will come into the series well-rested, as Game 1 between the teams is set for Tuesday, a week after Colorado finished off their first-round series with the Winnipeg Jets in five games.
Do you want the latest news, updates, and rumors surrounding all sports? Click here. Make sure to check out our sister sites as well: NFL Analysis Network, NBA Analysis Network, Packers Coverage.
