Excitement on and off the ice as Stars gear up for Game 3 on home ice

First Round: Game 3 (series tied 1-1)

DALLAS -- Tyler Seguin said the reality hit him Saturday morning when he was chatting with Joe Pavelski.
"I was talking to Pavs this morning and I said, `You haven't played a playoff game here,'" Seguin said. "That's the world we've all lived in and got through together. That's crazy."
The Stars are one of the more experienced playoff teams in the NHL right now, going to Game 7 of the second round in 2019 and then all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. However, that was in the Edmonton bubble, so there were no home games and no fans. This season, the league's back to normal, meaning American Airlines Center will be rocking Saturday night.
"I think it'll surprise anybody that thinks [Dallas] is a football town," Seguin said. "It gets going in here."
Stars fans have created a solid home ice advantage all season, averaging 17,896 fans per game, seventh most in the NHL. That's helped Dallas post a 27-10-4 record at AAC, which was also seventh best in the league.
"We're very excited about going home and playing in front of our crowd," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We've got fantastic fans in Dallas, and it's going to be an unreal atmosphere Saturday night, and we're looking forward to that."
So, can that make a difference in a series that's tied 1-1? Dallas was clearly better on home ice and was also a better offensive team on home ice. So, in a series where that's only been three goals scored in two games, any sort of advantage might help.
"We're keeping guys away from certain guys when we get the last change, I think that helps," Bowness said of the drive to get some spark from the goal scorers. "And when you're at home, you're more confident."
The Stars are hoping to find that groove Saturday.

What to watch

While outsiders might consider this series boring, the participants are fine with the style. There have been just three goals scored, but both sides have received great goaltending and fantastic team defense.
"It's the style you have to play," Bowness said after Game 2. "Playoff hockey, not a lot of room out there to make a lot of plays. They're playing hard. We're playing hard. It's playoff hockey. Both goaltenders were obviously great, making the big saves. But there's not much room out there and you've got to work for everything you're going to get."
The Stars want to get more shots on goal, possess the puck more and score more goals, but they have to do it within a system that'll keep the scoring low.
"I mean, they can keep those guys on the outside and they give me a chance to make saves," goalie Jake Oettinger said of the Stars' plan. "They have some great shooters over there and guys who can score. If they keep them to the outside, then it's my job to come up with those saves."

Lineup update

Alexander Radulov comes out and Marián Studenič comes in. The Stars are hoping for more speed and maybe more defensive presence from Studenic.
Here is the Stars' expected lineup for Game 3:
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Raffl-Benn-Gurianov
Namestnikov-Faksa-Glendening
Studenic-Seguin-Kiviranta
Suter-Heiskanen
Lindell-Klingberg
Hanley-Hakanpaa
Oettinger
Wedgewood

#

Numbers

0.66

The Stars scored more than a half a goal better at home than they did on the road this season, as they averaged 3.17 goals per game at home and 2.51 on the road.

0

Studenic is expected to jump in the lineup in place of Radulov. Studenic has played zero playoff games in the NHL, AHL and Slovakian league. He played 28 playoff games for Hamilton in the OHL, with his last postseason appearance in 2018.

52

Calgary allowed the fewest first period goals in the NHL during the regular season at 52. Dallas scored in the first period in Game 2. The Stars rank fifth in fewest goals allowed in first period during the regular season.

He said it

"When you're a young player, you need to get experience somehow. You've got to get a start, you've got to take it and do what you can with it. You want to be playing. His game's only gotten better throughout the season, so good for him. That's what we expect. He's been solid for us and nothing has changed."-- Pavelski on the play of Oettinger, who has allowed one goal in his first two playoff starts
A select number of tickets still remain for Game 3 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CT Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.