First Shift 🏒
There is something special to the Stars’ road game.
Maybe it’s because the team has a strong defensive base. Maybe it’s because they are typically patient in their approach to the game. Maybe it’s because they seem to handle adversity well. But Dallas has been one of the best road teams in the NHL under Pete DeBoer and his coaching staff.
In the past three seasons, Dallas leads the NHL in road record (73-37-13), road goals per game (3.40) and road GAA (2.68). They are third in road power play success at 25.7 percent and fourth in road penalty kill at 81.8 percent. On top of that, the Stars were 6-3 in road playoff games last season, including winning all three games at Ball Arena, home of the Colorado Avalanche.
DeBoer said while there are no concrete reasons why Dallas is better on the road, he’s glad that it is.
“I think when you have a good foundation to your game, good goaltending, good special teams, it gives you a chance to win on the road, regardless of the situations, playoffs, regular season,” DeBoer said. “I think we’re comfortable on the road.”
Dallas has lost Game 1 in eight consecutive playoff series, with six of those coming at home, so strong road play has been essential. The Stars bounced back against Vegas in 2024, winning Games 3 and 4 on the road in the First Round. They followed it up in the Second Round by winning Games 3 and 4 in Denver. They won Game 3 in Edmonton in the Western Conference Final, but then lost Games 4 and 6, and that cost them the series. They outshot the Oilers, 34-10 in Game 6 in Edmonton, but lost 2-1, so that could actually be seen as a dominant road performance.
Can the Stars draw from that history on Wednesday with this best-of-seven First Round series against the Avalanche tied 1-1? That’s certainly the plan. Dallas was able to rally and take a 4-3 overtime win on Monday, and that gives the Stars momentum after losing their previous eight games (0-6-2).
"You can go both ways,” Seguin said of the emotional swings. “It's a fresh new season in the playoffs, but it's been a little bit since we won a game. It's almost like going through a slump, you've got to try to just break it and simplify. We did that tonight and have something to build off of."
Emotion will definitely be a factor in Game 3. Stars forward Mikko Rantanen spent a decade with the Avalanche before being traded twice this season (once to Carolina and then to Dallas). He already has been back to Denver and played a game against his old team, so that’s helpful, but there will be a lot of distractions for the big forward.
In addition, Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog is close to returning from a knee injury and could play his first game in almost three years. Landeskog skated in warmup before Game 2 but then was scratched. DeBoer and his coaching staff went through the machinations of preparing for Landeskog’s return, but said it really doesn’t change what the Stars do.
“We have to be prepared that that’s probably going to happen,” DeBoer said. “That can go two ways, too. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with that to perform. I’ve never found those situations to be cumbersome. I think for me you have to manage the first 10 minutes of any road game like that.”
The Stars have a history of doing that on the road. Now, they hope to continue that tradition.
