Banner night: Stars make up for lost time in pummeling of Predators

DALLAS --Trepidation might have been a good word for the pre-game vibe at American Airlines Center.
Oh sure, the Stars are professional athletes who have a good dose of athletic arrogance and an ability to shut out the rest of the world, but this was different. A COVID-19 outbreak sidelined several players and shut down practices for a week. It postponed four games and forced the team to start against a Nashville squad that had already played three times. And, bottom line, all of the best laid plans could go up in flames when you consider that the intensity of your average practice doesn't come close to the emotion of a real NHL game.
"I can say, for me, I was nervous a little bit," said veteran Alexander Radulov.

And yet, the players shook off those nerves and reached back in their memories to remember the kind of fortitude and resolve that helped them put together a pretty significant playoff run last season. When the momentum got rolling, well, it seemed like yesterday once more for the lads in Victory Green.
Joe Pavelski had two goals and two assists, Alexander Radulov had two goals and one assist, and John Klingberg had three assists as the Stars rolled the Nashville Predators, 7-0, Friday. Anton Khudobin stopped 34 shots for his ninth career shutout and his 100th career win. It was a pretty much perfect night for a team that welcomed 4,214 fans and raised their first Western Conference Championship banner since 2000.
It was a chance to exhale, a boost in confidence, and statement that maybe they really are one of the better teams in the NHL.

"We have something to work off of now," said Stars coach Rick Bowness. "The guys are sick of looking at video of themselves in practice, so now we have something to work from."
That was important for the coaches, who need data to get their operating systems rolling. That was important for the players, who thrive on routine and muscle memory and momentum. It was important for the fans, who wanted to embrace their heroes for their work in the Edmonton bubble and also dream that maybe they could witness more of the same feats in person this season.
We're still in the middle of a pandemic, another outbreak could spoil this party at a moment's notice, and captain Jamie Benn left the game with a lower-body injury after two periods of play (we might get updated on his status on Saturday) -- so nobody is getting too ahead of themselves just yet. But if you were worried about this team's ability to score goals, well, the play of the second line was glorious -- and both Esa Lindell and Denis Gurianov chipped in highlight-reel markers that hint at their potential progress.

If you were worried about Khudobin's ability to handle the pressure of being a No. 1 goalie, he looked just as good as he ever did in the bubble. And if you were worried that maybe this team wasn't quite ready to compete, that feeling was washed away by a spirit that, for one night at least, was both impetuous and imperturbable.
Khudobin once again allowed the team a slow start by keeping Nashville off the board. Then, Dallas earned a 5-on-3 power play early in the second period and cashed in on both ends. Radulov, who was at his dynamic best, whipped a pass across the slot that Pavelski spanked in for the kind of NHL goal that teams like to draw up on the whiteboard. A minute later, Pavelski sent a fantastic pass to the right of the net, and Radulov deftly redirected it in from an angle for a 2-0 lead.

It was a bang-bang reminder of just how much talent this team does have, just how efficiently Dallas can convert when given a chance. The Stars are opportunistic -- it's how they came up with so many big wins in the playoffs. They absorb body blows, and then they strike just when you least expect it. And when they strike, they signal the folks on the highlight shows that some footage is coming.
Klingberg made a sapient fake to get off a shot that Gurianov tipped in on the power play for a 3-0 lead. Radulov stole the puck behind the net from Predators goalie Juuse Saros and hustled back to the front of the net to bat in his second goal of the night. Lindell charged into the offensive zone on a shorthanded rush and powered in a goal to show that, yes, the Stars will activate their defensemen.

When the ice settled, Dallas had a 5-0 lead after two periods and was well on its way to a pretty special first night. It was the first time the Stars had put up five goals in a period in a season opener since 1980. It was the first time they had scored seven or more goals in a season opener since that same 1980 season.
It was a chance to celebrate what is good about this organization.
"Going into a game like this with no preseason and a broken training camp, we did a lot of skating with the attempt to have our legs and be ready for tonight," Pavelski said as he searched for a reason the team played so well. "We wanted to come into this game with no excuses."

They did that. And while they have a pretty big challenge as they turn around and face the same Predators on Sunday at home, that's the way it's going to go this season (when they play their seven division rivals eight times each).
"We have to understand things went our way," Bowness said. "We just needed to get this first game in and, fortunately, we got some breaks tonight. When you get the breaks going your way, you have to take full advantage of it, and we did. More than anything we needed to play a game … we needed to play against someone other than ourselves."
Now, they have to try to build on that.
Let's just say the trepidation might be dialed down just a little bit for the next one.
"What matters is getting ready," Bowness said. "We know how hard they're going to come at us on Sunday. We'll be ready. We can have a better first period and be prepared now that we have that first game. We know what to expect from ourselves."

Next up: Stars vs. Predators

Sunday, 7 p.m. CT
TV:FOX Sports Southwest, NHL Network
Radio:The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM
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, and listen to his podcast.