The Stars closed the books on the 2023-24 season on Tuesday as Pete DeBoer conducted exit interviews in Frisco.
In an alternate reality, the Stars would have been preparing for Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers. Maybe then they would have punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final, waiting for the Florida Panthers to arrive for Game 1 on Saturday.
But the stars are gone. They lost three straight games to the Oilers after taking a 2-1 series lead, the first time Dallas lost three straight games in regulation under DeBoer. The offseason discussion has already delved deep into legacy and the question of whether Joe Pavelski will retire.
It’s an important story, one I’ll write about soon, but that story should have been on the back burner for at least two more weeks. If Pavelski’s career is over, it’s because the Stars’ top offensive threats, the new marquee names, failed to get the job done when they had the chance.
Jason Robertson scored a hat trick in the third game, but that was nothing more than an aberration. For every goal he scored in that contest, he had a fruitless and frustrating performance in Games 4 through 6 as the series swung in Edmonton’s favor.
After scoring the series-clinching goal against the Colorado Avalanche, Matt Duchene looked lost offensively. Part of this felt like a coach’s mistake (he struggled more when he split with Tyler Seguin), but Duchene had a chance and missed it.
Roope Hintz may have gotten a slight pass for playing with an injury, but any effect of that seemed to fade when he teamed up with Robertson for a pair of assists in Game 3. In Games 4-6 he was limited to a pair of shots. and had little offensive impact. A normally creative player was boring and predictable. Add in the fact that Hintz won 16 of 25 faceoffs during that stretch, one of the best indicators of how strong that injured wrist was, and it becomes more difficult to use her health as an excuse for a lack of opportunity creation.
Miro Heiskanen scored three points in the series and only one after Game 3, cooling off after recording 13 in the first 13 playoff games.
Thomas Harley was cold all postseason, going from a 15-goal scorer on the blue line in the regular season to nothing in the playoffs.
On the other hand, Connor McDavid scored 10 points in six games, the Oilers were 4-0 when Leon Draisaitl scored a point and Evan Bouchard scored seven points in six games from the blue line. A popular narrative is that the Oilers’ depth was better than the Stars’ in this series, but that seems anecdotal at best. The Stars’ depth players did their job, but so did the Oilers. Edmonton’s superstars were simply better equipped to attract attention.
Take Game 6 as an example.
In the highlight that will live on playoff reels for a long, long time, McDavid danced, floated and tricked Heiskanen for the first goal. The Stars may have been the better team in that game and had more shots in terms of shots, but none of their best offensive weapons did anything to negate McDavid’s highlight on the score sheet.
There is a well-worn cliché that your best players have to be your best players. As vague as it may seem, that’s why Dallas is watching the Stanley Cup Final from home.
All of Stars’ other problems relate to that. The power play fights? That’s the space where the best players are supposed to thrive. Losing Game 1 and not being able to do work at home? It’s supposed to be a stage where rock stars sway when the lights come on.
After the Stars failed to show up in Game 5, McDavid delivered when he had the chance in Game 6. The same can be said in Game 1, when McDavid was the guy who found a moment of beauty in a difficult game. to score the winning goal in double overtime. Yes, we are facing the best player in the world, but great players produce great moments.
It’s not always fair to compare this team to the 1999 Stanley Cup champions, but historical context is important. Mike Modano, playing with a broken wrist, scored five points in the final three games of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final. Brett Hull never went three games without scoring in the final two rounds, and in overtime, where we usually say “Anyone can do it,” the future Hall of Famer found the back of the net. Depth is important, but it doesn’t mean much if you don’t have someone up front ready to take advantage of the opportunity.
Wyatt Johnston tried and did everything he could to make up for the shortcomings of his more established teammates, as the 21-year-old led the Stars in the postseason with 10 goals and 16 points. Logan Stankoven also proved up to the task, adding a deep threat that helped unlock a better-than-expected postseason for Jamie Benn. If you’re looking for a positive amid the doom and gloom, it’s those two plus Game 6 playoff debutant Mavrik Bourque. Johnston has it, everything. Stankoven is firmly on the right track following his mid-season arrival. And while he’s a minor league-sized specimen, Bourque has shown chutzpah in big games after dropping 11 points in eight AHL playoff games.
Those will be the main attractions of the future, and perhaps they will be the big names that take Dallas further next season. But the Stars will be better off if Hintz and Robertson do it too, after taking a long hard look in the mirror after seeing what McDavid did. The same goes for Heiskanen and Harley on the blue line.
Because for the third consecutive season, the Stars will have the talent to play in a Stanley Cup Final. Now it’s time for someone to guide you there.
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Sean Shapiro
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Sean Shapiro covers the stars for StrongSide. He is a national NHL reporter and writer who previously covered the Dallas…
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