In his 197th playoff game on Saturday, he went another game without scoring and played 14:03, his lowest total of the playoffs. But he did everything he could to help Dallas win 3-1 and tie the best-of-7 series at 1-1.
He went 11 of 18 in faceoffs (61.1 percent). He blocked three shots, including one against defenseman Mattias Ekholm with 3:34 left and the Stars protecting a 2-1 lead and another against center Connor McDavid with 56 seconds left and the Stars protecting a 3-1 lead short of staff.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer made sure to include Pavelski when he mentioned players who had big blocks down the stretch.
DeBoer knows Pavelski well. He coached him in San Jose for four seasons from 2015-16 and has coached him in Dallas the past two seasons.
“I’m trying to give Joe his space,” DeBoer said the morning of Game 2. “Joe is both a coach and a player, but at the same time, you still have insecurities as a player if you’re not producing. This is a guy who has produced his entire career, but he also knows that you’re going to go through playoff stretches without producing. You can’t ride those waves too high or too low, and I think he understands that.
“He is very professional in his approach, not only in working on his own game, but also (leading by example). I think the message to others in the room about this is critical. ‘Look, you know what? I’m not happy with myself, you know? And look, I’m going to do something about it. I think that message is fantastic leadership.”
The story of Pavelski bringing center Wyatt Johnston home over the past two seasons is already well told. But it’s not just a nice story. The Stars asked Pavelski to mentor the boy when he entered the NHL at just 19 years old. Johnston is mature and skilled beyond his years in his own right, but Pavelski has helped him learn to be a professional.
“Obviously, everyone can see what he does on the court, but I can see what he does off the court, how much he does to make sure he’s ready to play every night,” said Johnston, who became 21 on May 14. “It’s impressive what he’s been doing at his age, and (you can) see there’s a reason, just the way he treats his body and how much work he puts into the game. He is a great example to everyone of what he is doing. “He’s doing that job.”
Game three is at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX).
“He still does,” DeBoer said entering the series. “It may not look like it did 10 years ago. It may not look like it did five years ago on the stat sheet. But his fingerprints are all over the game every game, whether it’s in the room talking to the guy who’s a little down and coming around, whether it’s with our young players and getting them ready for a Game 7 and what to expect.”
DeBoer pointed out how Pavelski made a play in front of the net to set up forward Matt Duchene’s double goal in Dallas’ 2-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the second round. Pavelski has three assists in the playoffs.
“There’s no other guy that I’ve coached this time of year that I would want on my team,” DeBoer said. “He still has enough left in the tank and I’m sure he’s not done leaving his fingerprints on our games in the future.”
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