Dallas Stars’ Stanley Cup Dream Scattered

Wayne Gretzky one of the greatest player of hockey says he has never seen a play off series like this. It is time to sit up and take notice. It means something extraordinary is happening that a legend like him has not witnessed before.

During the break in the Dallas Stars playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers, Wayne Gretzky, which known as The Great One in hockey spoke on TNT. He said he had never seen a playoff series like this before. This was not just talk to get people to watch it was a serious observation from someone who knows the game inside out.

Gretzky said something puzzling about this series you can not figure it out. It means that even though it seemed like the Dallas Stars would definitely win. Now it is not so certain. The Edmonton Oilers are causing trouble and the Dallas Stars’ might have some serious problems ahead.

Just when it seemed like the Dallas Stars had all the momentum going their way in the series. Which is in just one game and five minutes into the next they did not hold onto it. It was not that the Stars gave it away. But rather the Edmonton Oilers seized it from them.

Wednesday night in Edmonton the Oilers won Game 4 with a score of 5 – 2. Which resulting in a tied series. Game 5 is set for Friday night at the American Airlines Center. Following that there is Game 6 scheduled for Sunday night back in Edmonton.

During Game 4 the Stars got off to a strong start by scoring the first two goals. Within the opening six minutes of the game.

However Edmonton quickly fought back and managed to tie the game with two goals of their own in the first period. They didn’t stop there adding two more goals in the second period. In the final moments of the game Edmonton secured their victory. With an empty net goal with just 1 minute and 53 seconds left on the clock.

The same Stars team that had shown brilliance in their Game 3 victory seemed to disappear after the first six minutes of Game 4. Its as if they left that impressive performance behind when they boarded the team bus.

The Stars’ power play was really poor in Game 4 and to make matters worse. They even allowed a short handed goal against them. In such a closely contested series. So, your power play absolutely must contribute positively doing nothing simply is not an option.

The short handed goal scored by the Oilers was the first special teams goal seen in this entire series so far. Despite this setback the Stars still have a good chance of winning the series. They are considered the stronger team overall with more depth and a superior goaltender.

However its important to remember that in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Even teams with greater depth and talent often end up losing by just one goal or in a tightly contested series.

During Game 4 the Oilers managed to highlight a specific area of weakness that the Stars had tried to fix a few months back. Despite having one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Miro Heiskanen the Stars defensive lineup seemed to show a significant drop in quality after him.

If Stars defenseman Chris Tanev does not recover quickly the team might experience a significant decline in performance. Its as if there could be a massive drop from the very top of Reunion Tower. All the way down to the bottom of the Trinity River in terms of the teams defensive capability.

With just 7 minutes and 30 seconds left in the second period on Wednesday. Chris Tanev did what he’s known for best blocking shots. In Game 4 he managed to block three shots making him the NHL player with the most blocks in the postseason totaling 68. However the last shot he blocked caused him some noticeable pain.

Video replays revealed that the puck struck the back of Chris Tanev right foot. As a result he limped off the ice and headed straight to the locker room. Unfortunately he did not come back to the game. The Stars later referred to it as a lower body injury.

Describing Chris Tanev injury as a lower body injury is more informative than vague terms. As like the flu shoulder injury or contact tracing.

In late February the Stars traded for Tanev from the New Jersey Devils in a three team trade. The trade turned out to be a success. Because Tanev proved to be one of those essential players who filled a missing piece in the team’s lineup.

The Stars do not have many defensemen to spare. If Tanev is unable to play in Game 5 the team’s alternatives are not very promising.

Jani Hakanpaa is out due to injury leaving the team with limited choices. Its expected that Nils Lundkvist will be called up to fill the gap. However the excitement surrounding his activation is comparable to receiving socks for Christmas not exactly thrilling.

Other potential options for the Stars include Derrick Pouliot who has not seen game time since April 20 and Lian Bichsel. A rookie who has yet to play in an NHL game.

However these options don’t fully address the larger concern regarding the team’s defensive lineup. As particularly regarding Thomas Harley and veteran Ryan Suter.

During the 2023 playoffs Ryan Suter’s performance for the Stars was so poor. That fans even talked about the possibility of the team buying out his contract. However he has shown improvement in the current playoffs. Yet there have been several occasions in the series against Edmonton. Where he appears to struggle to keep up resembling his age of 39.

Similarly Thomas Harley has frequently appeared outmatched during the series. Which indicating difficulties in keeping pace with the competition.

After securing victories in Games 2 and 3 the Stars appeared to be the stronger team destined for the Stanley Cup Final. While that outcome could and still should within reach. The Oilers present a significant challenge.

The Oilers boast Conor McDavid widely regarded as the best player in the world. If Chris Tanev is unable to play the Stars could find themselves in serious trouble.