Dallas Stars swing long odds in their favor heading into Game 6
By Reid Hanson
In the famous word of Monty Python’s unnamed bubonic plague victim, “I’m not dead yet.” Two games ago the Dallas Stars looked like a dead man walking. Down 3-0 to the Golden Knights, they faced horrific odds.
Looking back, only four teams have overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NHL. And to get four you have to go all the way back to 1942 to when the the Maple Leafs came back to beat the Red Wings. It’s why in Game 3 the team lost their cool and fans lost their minds. 3-0 was a death sentence.
The Dallas Stars are back in the series and no longer face near-impossible odds to make the Stanley Cup Final.
With back-to-back wins in Game 4 and Game 5, the Dallas Stars now get to head home for a chance to tie the series. Team Captain Jamie Benn and the Stars’ home crowd get a chance at redemption for their unsavory behavior in Game 3, and the team get’s a chance to do the impossible – overcome a 3-0 deficit.
Depending on what odds-maker you visit, the Dallas Stars have swung favor into their direction. Las Vegas is still the series favorite because they have a 1-game lead, but the Stars have made it interesting. Many are now giving them the Game 6 edge, and after that, well, anything can happen.
With two consecutive home losses, the Golden Knights are feeling the pressure. They don’t want this series to go to Game 7. They don’t want to be stuck on the wrong side of momentum this suffocating. They want to handle business in Dallas and are going to come out motivated and focused.
The Stars are in no mood to exhale. They welcome back their captain, Benn, and regain the confidence the three consecutive losses stole from them. Their “one game at a time” mentality has served them well, and you can bet everyone will be energized to right some wrongs when they take the ice on Monday.
The Stars have to win both games ahead of them. That’s no small feat and it’s why 3-0 teams win their series’ to a convincing degree. It’s still an uphill battle. But they know they can win two in a row because they just did. And now they get their captain back (he was on their minds on Saturday) and they get their home crowd back.
It’s time to force Game 7