So is Dallas really this overmatched? Are people ready to call the series for Tampa? I mean Dallas getting blown out of the first period on two straight games makes it seem that whenever Tampa puts its foot on the gas they can overwhelm Dallas and then just sit back and counterpunch.
Sorry to say this Dallas team has the all the makings of a Finals loser, down to the quirky goalie folk hero whose luck usually runs out about now.
The fact is the WC blows outside of the Blues, who thought just pretending Billington wasn’t god awful in the bubble might work, and the Avalanche, whose goalies were replaced like Spinal Tap drummers. Vegas is the king of mediocrity that is the Pacific. The Stars, like their fellow Central Conference’s Predators and Jets, are respectable also-rans. (Do the Jets get to lose in Cup final next?)
After a playoff drought of five years the Stars had six years where it made three times, twice as the playoff team with the worst record and they managed to win the Central four years ago.
It’s weird having the NHL try to sell them as full blown swaggering contenders, Seguin and Benn had been called out by the team’s owner as their offense had gone MIA, Benn was seen as another broken down power forward while Seguin with more of a mental thing. Pavalski signed there because there a big spending vet team who was willing to give a 35 year old a 3 year/7m deal when his previous big spending vet team couldn’t.
We’re not at the Stars level yet so it’s daunting to see them shown as lacking. They have a excellent 1st line (if Seguin would turn on), Pavalski’s line works as well, excellent forward depth beyond that, some stellar defense... It’s just that the Lightning have more.
I will say that going with 7d-11f seemed to have a negative draining effect on the TB forwards and switching on Monday to 6d-12f was a good call.
It’s not remotely over of course. Is Stamkos coming back? How’s Point? I’d be absolutely thrilled to eat these words but Dallas looked like it was unraveling. I have less faith if they go back to 7d because it annoys me.
