So when Kiviranta gets a chance to play, he's already been hanging out with Finnish teammates like Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. When Caamano gets a chance to step in, he has no problem playing on a line with Jason Dickinson and Andrew Cogliano. And when Hanley subs in on defense, he has no problem stepping up and taking key minutes.
"A lot of them never know if they're going to play, so I give the players a tremendous amount of credit for hanging in there. No complaints, happy to be here," Bowness said. "We're a family, we work together. I think our coaches have done a great job with the aces, keeping them physically fit and keeping them mentally fit. When they play, they know their role. That's all part of being a good teammate."
While it is difficult for family members who live outside of Canada to get inside the bubble, Dowling's wife Meg and young daughter Perri live in nearby Cochrane, Alberta and have been able to join him. Their presence has been a reminder of so many family members who are supporting the team.
Dowling said that the Stars have been showing "videos from home" to all players, and that's also helped foster support and a family feeling.
"We skate together, we do team meetings together, and I think that's huge," Dowling said. "We're trying to get everyone involved, even people outside the bubble. It's not just us inside the bubble trying to win the Stanley Cup, families are involved too and they're all making sacrifices just like we are."
Dallas leaned heavily on its depth Saturday night to force a Game 6. They will have to do the same again Monday in hopes of getting to a Game 7. But if ever a team has the kind of depth that can come through at a time like this, it's probably the Stars. Because as much as the veterans want to help the role players, the role players are just as invested.
"As 'Black Aces,' you've got to be ready to go if your name is called," Caamano said. "A lot of guys in that room have battled hard all playoffs here and you don't want to come in and disappoint them."
