3 Keys: Stars at Golden Knights, Recreation 6 of Western 1st Spherical – NHL.com

Dallas wants shut-down protection to advance; Vegas should handle puck higher to increase collection
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Dallas leads best-of-7 collection 3-2
LAS VEGAS — The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights will attempt to keep away from elimination towards the Dallas Stars in Recreation 6 of the Western Convention First Spherical at T-Cellular Enviornment on Friday.
The Golden Knights have misplaced three in a row since taking a 2-0 lead within the best-of-7 collection.
Adin Hill will begin in objective for the second straight recreation. Ivan Barbashev will transfer as much as left wing on the second line with heart Chandler Stephenson and proper wing Mark Stone, and ahead Keegan Kolesar and defenseman Zach Whitecloud will rejoin the lineup.
“We all know what we’ve obtained to do,” Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo mentioned. “We’ve been in positions like this earlier than the place we haven’t performed nice. We discovered a strategy to get by way of it. Slightly adversity’s OK. Nothing unsuitable with that.”
The Golden Knights haven’t misplaced 4 straight video games within the Stanley Cup Playoffs because the 2018 Stanley Cup Closing, after they gained Recreation 1 towards the Washington Capitals and misplaced the collection in 5.
They haven’t confronted elimination because the third spherical in 2021, after they misplaced Recreation 6 to the Montreal Canadiens, and haven’t confronted elimination at house because the first spherical in 2021, after they gained Recreation 7 towards the Minnesota Wild.
“We’ve obtained to discover a strategy to be on prime tonight, and I like our probabilities,” Vegas ahead Jonathan Marchessault mentioned. “I imply, we’ve got a very good workforce. I nonetheless consider in that workforce, and I feel we will do some injury. However we’ve obtained to take it one recreation at a time and convey our greatest house recreation.”
Listed here are 3 keys to Recreation 6:
The Golden Knights have to do a greater job on this division in the event that they wish to pressure a Recreation 7.
“That’s been our Achilles’ heel this collection,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned. “They’ve gotten extra probabilities off our turnovers than we’ve gotten off their turnovers by a … giant sufficient margin. And so, that’s an space of the sport that we’ve got to be higher at, and that’s not an adjustment. That’s puck administration.”
How do they enhance?
“We’ve obtained to remember with the puck — puck placement between the blue strains,” Marchessault mentioned. “Simply don’t gas their transition. They’re a very good transition workforce.
“And likewise, to change that round, after they do turnovers, we’ve obtained to money in. We’ve obtained to ensure it hurts them.”
Pietrangelo has taken a roughing penalty that has led to a key Dallas power-play objective in two straight video games.
In Recreation 4, he roughed heart Roope Hintz, and the Stars tied the sport 2-2. He mentioned he was attempting to guard himself from taking a stick within the face.
In Recreation 5, he swung a glove within the face of ahead Tyler Seguin, who had dedicated an unlawful verify to the top of Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore earlier. The Stars cashed in to take a 3-2 lead. The objective turned out to be the winner.
“Final recreation, yeah, I’ve obtained to maintain my composure,” mentioned Pietrangelo, a two-time Stanley Cup champion. “I’ve been down this highway earlier than. I do know what it’s like right now of the yr. I definitely take accountability for it, little question about that, however there’s extra to the sport than simply that.”
Every recreation has been determined by one objective or one objective plus an empty-netter, and every workforce is 2-0 when main after two durations. Vegas shut down Dallas within the third interval in Video games 1 and a couple of; the Stars returned the favor in Video games 4 and 5.
“I feel locking down third-period leads, together with goalie-out conditions, [has] been important, and I feel we’ve been fairly good in these spots,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer mentioned.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has stopped all 56 photographs he has confronted within the third interval and additional time, together with 42 over the previous three wins.
“He actually has the power to go to a different degree at crucial time of a recreation, no matter what’s occurred earlier within the recreation,” DeBoer mentioned.
Jason Robertson — Roope Hintz — Joe Pavelski
Jamie Benn — Wyatt Johnston — Logan Stankoven
Evgenii Dadonov — Matt Duchene — Tyler Seguin
Craig Smith — Sam Metal — Ty Dellandrea
Thomas Harley — Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell — Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter — Nils Lundkvist
Jake Oettinger
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: None
Injured: Radek Faksa (undisclosed), Jani Hakanpaa (decrease physique), Mason Marchment (undisclosed)
Tomas Hertl — Jack Eichel — Jonathan Marchessault
Ivan Barbashev — Chandler Stephenson — Mark Stone
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Michael Amadio
William Service — Nicolas Roy — Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez — Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Zach Whitecloud — Noah Hanifin
Adin Hill
Logan Thompson
Scratched: Paul Cotter, Pavel Dorofeyev, Ben Hutton, Anthony Mantha
Injured: Nicolas Hague (decrease physique)
Faksa, a ahead, is a game-time determination; he has missed the previous three video games.
NHL.com impartial correspondent Paul Delos Santos contributed to this report
🔹 Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
🔹 Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
🔹 New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
🔹 Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
🔹 Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights
🔹 Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche
🔹 Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators
🔹 Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

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