Stars can draw even in massive Game 6 at home

Every team has traditions.

Whether it's throwing the octopus on the ice in Detroit, a catfish in Nashville, or the roar of "STARS" during the National Anthem in Dallas, every team has a handful of special practices they cling to during games.

One of my personal favorites in Dallas is the various sing-a-long songs played during stoppages in a game.

The first song that likely comes to mind for Stars fans is "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks, or others might prefer "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers when it comes to generating a momentum-shifting serenade.

But there's also something special about "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. It's a regular in the rotation at American Airlines Center and always brings the building to life. The lyrics focus on remaining hopeful and optimistic through life's various challenges. Plus, the chance to belt out, "Whoa, we're halfway there, whoa oh, livin' on a prayer" alongside 18,500+ fans can be overwhelming wonderful.

Especially when the Dallas Stars live up to the lyrics.

After being left for dead following a lopsided Game 3 loss that put them in a 0-3 series hole, the Stars have found new life. After rallying from two different deficits, they charged back to win Game 4 in overtime and stave off elimination.

And in Game 5 on Saturday in Vegas, it was much of the same resilience that we've seen all season.

The Stars once again got off to a bouncy start, taking the first penalty of the game at the 50-second mark. But while the Golden Knights posted the first six shots on goal, Dallas didn't budge.

Although Vegas once again scored the first goal of the game, and after going 0-5 when trailing first to start the postseason and falling behind to open Game 4, the Stars found a way out of the hole and snapped the skid.

And even though they were on the road in a hostile environment, it didn't seem to bother them. 1:48 after Ivan Barbashev opened the scoring, Luke Glendening answered on a nifty tip of a Thomas Harley shot. In the second period, Jason Robertson responded just 2:09 after Chandler Stephenson's go-ahead tally to once again draw even.

From there, it was the Ty Dellandrea show as the 22-year-old logged two goals just 1:27 apart for his first career multi-goal game. They turned out to be the deciders in a confident 4-2 win.

And just like that, the Stars are "halfway there."

"The response has been great," Dellandrea said. "The past few games, they've gotten the early lead and we've been able to respond quickly. That's what you need when you go down. Just a lot of pushback and a great effort from everybody in here."

In a span of five days, the seemingly impossible now brims with potential. The Stars have almost erased a three-game deficit in the Western Conference Final and are a win at home away from forcing a winner-take-all Game 7.

"To get to the point we're at now just shows you the type of characters we have in our room and the belief we have, even being down 3-0," Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger said. "This series is far from over."

Similar to Game 3, it was a unique victory for Dallas. They didn't have a power play opportunity for just the second time this year (and first since Dec. 19 at Columbus) and did all of their damage at even strength. Jamie Benn (suspension) and Evgenii Dadonov (lower-body) both missed a second straight game, but the Stars found ways around their absences using depth.

"Gutsy win being down a couple of guys and coming in here," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "We talked about taking another bite out of the elephant, and I think we did tonight. We've got a couple bites left to go, but I like our group. I wouldn't bet against them."

To top it all off, the Stars adapted to handle the Golden Knights' game plan. Vegas committed 24 giveaways in Game 5, the 3rd most by any team in this year's playoffs. Many of those can be attributed to the Stars' systematic forecheck and aggressive attack.

They played a relentless brand of hockey and never gave Vegas a moment of comfort. They have now won consecutive games for the first time since May 9-11. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have lost two in a row for the first time since March 28-30.

"We have a lot of belief in this room that we can beat anyone on any given night," Stars forward Max Domi said. "That being said, the only way we're going to do that is if we come ready to play, do all of the things we talk about and execute the game plan to the best of our ability. We've been able to do that the last couple of games, and we just have to keep that narrow mindset."

That mindset is critical. While the previous two games have sported a new wave of confidence for the Stars, they still sit two wins away from their goal, while Vegas sits one closer to theirs.

"You just take it one day at a time," Glendening said. "That's all we can do. I guess [our odds] are better than they were four days ago, but we still have to win two games and they have to win one. We'll just keep battling."

The Stars will get a nice dose of reinforcements in Game 6. Not only will they be back on home ice in front of their fans, but they will add their captain back to the lineup. There's no telling what kind of charge Benn's return could bring to the team with so much on the line.

"I think what it tells you is what Jamie Benn means to them," DeBoer said. "I think that's a direct reflection on what that guy means to our group in that dressing room with what they've done the last couple of nights here."

Jake Oettinger's return to form has been nothing short of impressive, too. He's now 4-1 with a .949 save percentage in his career in elimination games. That includes a .941 mark in the past two victories.

The Stars are finding their groove, something they've done rather frequently in the latter stages of a series this postseason. In the first three games of a series, they are a combined 2-7. But what about for the final four? 8-1. The ability to adapt and adjust to an opponent's style and strengths has helped Dallas in carving its path to this point.

The hope is that it helps carry them even further, and that all starts in Game 6. The past few days have been encouraging, but one more win still separates them from level ground.

"We'll focus on Game 6 first," Domi said. "I think it's been working for us as of late, so we'll keep doing that. We know they're going to be hungry. Maybe get them on their heels a little early and go from there."

As the series shifts closer to an ultimatum, the desperation seems to rise on both sides. With that, the need for composure becomes paramount. It's a composure the Stars have used rather regularly this postseason. Whether it's a closeout game in Minnesota, a Game 7 against Seattle, or the 0-3 hole, the moment has yet to become too big for them.

Now, the chance to really make things interesting presents itself in the form of home ice, the captain's return, and a chance at history.

"I feel great," DeBoer repeated four times when asked about flipping the pressure in the series. "I've got no other words. Let's go. Drop the puck."

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.