Game 6 Stray Observations (First Round): Colorado forces the Finnish Mafia to a Game 7

Obligatory: all bets are off.

This is what we all sign up: high drama and loud noises.

While I’m sure there’s some measure of disappointment from fans, I still say there’s a lot to be proud of. Dallas has officially taken Colorado to the brink with key players standing in for key players. It’s like watching the JV team hang with the seniors: it’s not supposed to happen, but it is. And so now the Stars have do it once more, again without the cavalry (or so we assume).

The series has felt like Dallas with their hands at the wheel, and they’re doing a lot of things to call themselves the better team, between the coaching, and the special teams. However, nobody’s gonna remember anything positive if Dallas manages to lose this series. Nobody’s gonna remember the “better team” because you don’t get to call yourself that if you lose a best of seven.

Perhaps that’s the rub. Dallas no longer feels like the better team. Colorado has fully taken control on the spreadsheet, outshooting Dallas 174-121 at even strength. The Avs have the edge in goals 14-11, and the expected goal share gap is even wider at 17 to 12. This is a tough hyperspace as an “analyst” because it’s hard to call Colorado the better team given Dallas roster holes. But I get it. Nobody wants to hear about injuries. There’s still a grocery list of great players on this team, and so they have to find a way to call themselves the better team, injuries be damned.

The good news is that Dallas is not eliminated, and they still have a chance to make a statement; a statement that would be, frankly, incredible. But theory has to become practice in order for fans to start feeling good, because all this game was good for was more anxiety.

Puck (un)luck

There’s really nothing you can do with a bad bounce. That’s the tough part about watching hockey and analyzing hockey. Sometimes there’s no one to blame except the hockey gods. Valeri Nichushkin didn’t mean to score that first goal, just as Nathan MacKinnon didn’t mean to score off a Sam Steel clear that bounced off Colin Blackwell. The puck, via osmosis, did beat Dallas. Keep in mind, I don’t consider these excuses. Dallas got outshot, and the same lack of puck luck could be made for Martin Necas and Josh Manson, who both hit iron. Nonetheless, them’s the breaks.

Lian Bichsel

At first glance, it didn’t look like much, but Bichsel clearly took a hard fall that had him in the kind of discomfort that looked and felt long term. Thankfully he returned. He’s had a solid series, all things considered. While the physicality is what gets all the highlight reel play, his talent is what makes him a rookie blueliner that can be trusted to defend a high flying Colorado offense.

Roope Hintz

Hintz has had an interesting series. Up until tonight he had been somewhat quiet but not invisible, and I think a lot of his two-way work has gone underappreciated. Nonetheless, as the former but not former number one center, Dallas would probably like a bit more of offense, or defense (given what appeared to be some blown coverage/miscommunication between him and Esa Lindell on that third goal), and Thursday night was a nice reminder who the top pivot has been for so many years.

Team Finland

The above portion could apply to Mikael Granlund as well as Mikko Rantanen. The newlook top line sans Jason Robertson has been everything an amateur writer with Things to Pompously Say could ask for. But more than that, the playoff performer Dallas bought has become the playoff performer that Dallas bought.

The Colorado perspective

I thought it was amusing that my comment in the last stray observations made the rounds on social media from others. For sure, it was anything but glowing. My point wasn’t to mock Colorado, though. My point was to highlight their long term outlook, which I believe still holds true. How far can they go if their power play can’t generate offense? How far can they go if their middle six continues to be MIA? Even though Colorado owns the possession and shot quality battle, there’s very little consistency on a micro level, in my view. Nonetheless, they forced a Game 7 and have a chance, and when it gets down to the marrow, that’s all you can ever put yourself in a position to do: staying alive, and having a chance.