Domi making right moves for Stars in Western 2nd Round against Kraken

DALLAS -- Max Domi thinks the Stanley Cup Playoffs are comparable to one of his newest passions.

"It's like playing chess," the Dallas Stars forward said.

In what way?

"There are always new little things that pop up in every series and it's just playoff hockey," he said.

Domi said he's "not very good" at chess but has been drawn to the game after watching "The Queen's Gambit," a Netflix series about a fictional chess prodigy.

And though he may not yet be a king of the game, he's certainly not a rook either, and when it comes to making adjustments to the things that pop up in the playoffs, he's done just fine.

After having three points (one goal, two assists) in a physical Western Conference First Round against the Minnesota Wild, the forward has found his touch in the second round against the more up-tempo Seattle Kraken. He has seven points (two goals, five assists) to help the Stars hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Dallas can reach the Western Conference Final with a win in Game 6 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, TVAS, SN).

RELATED: [Complete Stars vs. Kraken series coverage]

"We've needed him this round and he's been fantastic," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said of Domi. "Maybe our best player."

Domi's 10 points are third most on the Stars this postseason behind forwards Roope Hintz, who has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists), and Jason Robertson, who has 11 (two goals, nine assists).

"He's just a good player," said Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was Domi's teammate with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2020-22. "If you give him time and space and opportunities to make plays, he makes them. He can score at the same time. You have to keep an eye out on him, got to play him close. Like anybody who has skill, you have to find a way to get them off their game. It's just playing him tight."

Domi takes chances on the ice, which can lead to some anxious moments. But the results have been more positive than negative.

"He makes those plays that sometimes can be dangerous in the playoffs, but a lot of times they're what creates a goal," Dallas forward Tyler Seguin said. "Just having that patience and confidence to make those plays and create and he's getting rewarded."

The Stars acquired Domi from the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Anton Khudobin and a second-round pick on March 2. He was one of two acquisitions for the Stars prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3; they also got forward Evgenii Dadonov from the Montreal Canadiens for forward Denis Gurianov on Feb. 26.

Of the two, Domi struggled more following the trade. Dadonov, who played for DeBoer when the two were with the Florida Panthers from 2009-11, had eight points (three goals, five assists) in his first eight games with Dallas. Domi had three points (goal, two assists) in the same span.

"It's not easy, right, when you come from a team where you have a certain role and then you come to another team it's a different role to some extent," Domi said. "You're just playing with new players, new city, you're living in a new area, you're away from your family, all this stuff. There's a big list of things you have to take into consideration.

"But these guys have been awesome. I've been saying it from Day One, they've made it really easy on me. They're all great guys, they make you feel comfortable, and it really is a pretty special group. They make you feel part of it, and that goes a long way, especially when it comes to trying to get comfortable on the ice. If you're comfortable off the ice, everything else out there is much easier."

Domi's played one a line with a few different teammates since arriving in Dallas, including Seguin and Mason Marchment. In Game 1 of this series, he was on a line with Joe Pavelski, who was playing for the first time since sustaining a concussion from a hit in Game 1 of the first round. Pavelski had a career-high four goals and Domi had the secondary assist on three of them.

"He's a player who, right from the start, you saw he had confidence and wanted to make plays," Pavelski said. "His speed is pretty good. He's a quick player, he's good with the puck. He's been playing great for us, he really has. Had a really good night the other night (two goals in Game 4) but those are things he's been doing on a nightly basis."

The 28-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He's now played for six NHL teams: the Arizona Coyotes, who selected him No. 12 in the 2013 NHL Draft, Montreal Canadiens, Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Blackhawks and Stars.

He's never played more than three seasons with any team (Arizona) and though he likes to make moves on a chess board, he'd like to settle somewhere for a while. Could the Stars be that team?

"It's cliché but you really do take the day-to-day approach right now. There's very limited distractions and I feel like one of those things could be thinking too far ahead just trying to stay present. But I've said from Day One, I absolutely love playing here," he said.

"It's a great place to live, the fan base is awesome. It's a hidden gem, for sure. I don't think people realize how much of a market it actually is here, how much they love hockey. It's a lot of fun to play here."