(2024 Playoffs, Round 1) Game 4 Stray Observations: Dallas ties it up with a 4-2 win over Vegas
We have ourselves a series.
You unclench yet?
It’s almost surreal. Maybe it’s just me but does anyone else feel like this series has been going on for months? Maybe it’s because the first round has been a slaughter — or at least looks to be for now — or maybe it’s because this matchup felt official long before it became so, but it’s hard to believe this is still just the first round. This was the only thing I could think of as Dallas managed to tie the series up.
After all, this wasn’t the dominant win from Game 3. While the expectation was never that Dallas was gonna look like that more than once, you certainly hoped that a pattern might emerge; that the new top six would once again lead the charge, and that they would continue to dictate play. Instead Dallas reverted back to the old lineup, but this time — to positive results.
I don’t know where to begin, really. The good news is that the series is tied. The bad news is that the series is tied. (Think about it: if Dallas had won their two home games, and then lost their two away games, we’d look at things a little differently would we not?)
Also, it’s hilarious that both teams are winless at home, and I’m not even sure this isn’t precedent.
All in all, this series is shaping up to go seven games because of course it will. Outside of the series being tied, I don’t know that there are positives or even negatives. These are two great teams. All the winner can hope for is that they still have something left when it’s all said and done.
And with that, onto the strays.
The unhoused avengers
It was good to see Craig Smith and Ty Dellandrea get on board. All year I’ve been a proponent of Dellandrea is an option on the fourth line. Smith, to me, had done nothing to get taken out of the lineup. They do something that I think an optimal fourth line can do: speed, north, south, rinse, repeat. Smith in particular leveraged his fresh legs the way we’re used to seeing from Vegas, which is a good sign. Nobody expects the fourth line to score, but you do expect them to be more than a breather shift for the top lines, and Dellandrea line was definitely that.
Top line reunited
I’m not a big fan of seeing Joe Pavelski back up there with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of move that will kill the series or anything. Besides, Dadonov has looked good next to Seguin and Duchene, and Benn next to Johnston and Stankoven keep doing their thing. While it was good to see Hintz finally get on the scoreboard, he’s a player to watch closely.
If Dallas expects to win this series, Hintz will need to be a factor. Outside of the garbage time goal, he was more or less visible…just in a bad way. He looks frustrated at times, which is understandable, but also flustered, which is less. He’s getting the tough matchups, which isn’t easy, but so is Jack Eichel and he still continues to take over shifts wholesale (better player, granted).
Five defenders
A win’s a win, and I don’t want to downplay what was otherwise a very good performance in a series as tightly matched as it gets. But you have to wonder if it’s gonna catch up to the others. It sure looks like it’s getting tough on Miro Heiskanen.
I realize the Nils Lundkvist discussion is its own beast, but if Pete DeBoer has no intention of playing him, Dallas needs to either dress someone else, or roll with five defenders.
Granted, dressing five defenders is hardly optimal. In fact, it happened this season when John Tortorella made that decision in Philly. The Flyers gave up four goals in the first 11 minutes and he got tossed out of the game.
Obviously, I wouldn’t expect the same fate for Dallas unless DeBoer is feeling extra grumpy, but nothing about this decision feels anything other than tenuous at best. Beyond just the ripple effect of this series, it also feels like a broad hazard long term, with the few defenders they have blocking more shots, and taking more hits. If this were an easy series, that would be one thing. But the Stars are up against one of the best teams in the league, at their absolute peak; a team with one Cup already.
The Vegas perspective
If you’re the Golden Knights you probably don’t feel too busted up. Yea, the series is tied, but the home teams suck this series, and you proved to have an answer for the new-look top six — so much so that Pete DeBoer reverted back to your original top nine. In addition, Dallas scored two goals from the goal line, which isn’t exactly a recipe for sustainable success.
I wouldn’t expect Vegas to change much. They’ve lost control of the series only on paper, losing the momentum, but for the most part they feel like the team that has nominal control thus far. Still, I wouldn’t say they’re feeling good either. They have more than a few forwards who have been absent. Vegas’ top four feels like the engine driving them — well, that and Logan Thompson.
The player they want to put in the spotlight is Jake Oettinger, who has looked good, but also hasn’t been challenged enough.
Great summary, as usual.
As for Lundkvist, I don't understand why they even dress him. He had 1:09 ice time. LOL, even the giant in New-York that can barely skate has more ice time.
PDB will drive the other 5 into the ground before this series is finish.
Just dress Pouliot and give him 5 minutes of ice time. That will give a short break to the other five.
Stars shooting percentage on HDCF coming into tonight was 5.7% after being 14.3% for the regular season. (-8.7% worse than regular season is by far the worst in playoffs so far. LA is second worst -6.8% and no one else even at +/-5% from season average). The stars were due for some “puck luck”, and the two even strength goals clearly count as lucky. So while you can count on goal line shots going in, they were due.
Also, I see hockey viz total xG at 3.6 Stars to 3.2 Knights. Doesn’t change that this was a nail biter though.