Stars face Kraken for Game 7 'knockout hockey'

With the series between Dallas and Seattle tied at 3-3, the winner will go on to play the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, while the loser will end its season.

Game 7s are special, and the Stars get one at home tonight.

"Whenever you get in an elimination game and you either win or you're done for the year after almost 100 games, there's a different feel to it," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. But, like we're trying to do every day here, we're trying to bring consistency to our approach. I think that's when we play our best, and we have to have our best game tonight."

The Stars have pushed consistency all year long, and it's one of the reasons the numbers have been so good. Dallas had highs and lows against Minnesota but found a way to win that series in six games. They are coming off a disappointing Game 6 loss at Seattle on Saturday, but they also have a history of bouncing back after losses.

"Mentally, it's a roller coaster in the playoffs no matter what," Stars forward Tyler Seguin said. "Everyone talks about the cliché of staying even keel. Sometimes, that's easy to do. Sometimes that's tough. But nothing else matters tonight. It's one game, knockout hockey."

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled after giving up four goals in Game 6, but he has a history of rebounding with wins this season. DeBoer said the 24-year-old goalie shows mental strength in moments like this.

"That's just mindset, that's not physical," DeBoer said. "That's an elite mindset where 'I'm not going to let last game bleed into the next game. I'm part of the solution and not part of the problem.' He's been as good as I've had in those situations."

Oettinger isn't the only one looking for a bounce-back game. The defense pair of Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää were on the ice for most of the goals in the 6-3 defeat and were a combined minus-7. Lindell said he is looking forward to playing well in Game 7.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Big times," Lindell said.

The coaching staff appears to be leaving the pair together, and DeBoer said they had plenty of help in getting the minuses. That gives the pair extra confidence, Lindell said.

"We definitely look at it and try to fix it. We get back to the basics that make us and our team play well," he said. "We've been together all year. That gives us confidence. We just have to prepare for tonight."

DeBoer and his coaching staff appear to be making just one change, as Luke Glendening is coming back into the lineup and Ty Dellandrea is coming out. Glendening has been one of the team's best faceoff men in the playoffs (63.2 percent), and Dallas had its worst faceoff game in Game 6 (52 percent).

DeBoer said the team has shown balance with defensemen Colin Miller and Joel Hanley alternating at times, and with Glendening, Dellandrea and Joel Kiviranta taking turns.

"Faceoffs, leadership, penalty killing, all of those things," DeBoer said of the reasons for Glendening's return. "We've got some depth here and we decided to use it, and I think it's been to our benefit. Miller and Hanley have gone in and out at different points. Dellandrea, Kiviranta, Glendening . . . that's one of the strengths of our group."

When asked if there was discussion on bigger chances, DeBoer said, "That's a constant conversation in the coach's room . . . forward lines, defense pairs, goalies. We discuss that every day and roll out the best group we can, and we'll do the same thing tonight."

DeBoer has gone 6-0 in Game 7s in his career but said he really has been fortunate to have strong performances by his players.

"The players decide the games at this time of year, it's not the coaches," he said. "I've had some groups that rose to the occasion, some fortunate plays, some great goaltending. The players decide it."

Key Numbers

72

Stars forward Joe Pavelski is tied for the lead among active NHL players with 72 playoff goals in his career. Pavelski ranks 14th all-time.

6

Thomas Harley leads all Stars defensemen in scoring in this series with 6 points (1 goal, 5 assist) in six games.

18

Stars forward Roope Hintz is second in points (18) and second in goals (8) among playoff scorers.

He said it

"Game 7. I think there's a balance in that. In some ways it is just another hockey game, and then the balance of how incredibly important the details of this hockey game will be. We're looking at it more as an opportunity than it being a ton of pressure. In these moments, you have to want to be the difference and not worry about the mistakes."

• Seguin on a Game 7 compared to other games during a series.

Expected lineup

Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Benn-Johnston-Dadonov
Marchment-Domi-Seguin
Kiviranta-Faksa-Glendening

Suter-Heiskanen
Lindell-Hakanpää
Harley-Hanley

Oettinger
Wedgewood

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

Video: DeBoer on the lineup changes for tonight is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter Video: DeBoer on the lineup changes for tonight