Stars still confident as Game 6 underdogs
EDMONTON, Alberta — After a very un-Dallas Stars-like first overtime period in which they sat back and let the Tampa Bay Lightning take it to them, players and coaches in the locker room had a very distinct message.
“We’ve got to play to win, let’s go at them, let’s get back on our toes and get skating again,” coach Rick Bowness said. “We found our legs. We found our second wind.”
And it’s their second win of the Stanley Cup Final to force a Game 6 Monday night that these teams see very differently. The plucky Stars are embracing the underdog role missing several key players to injury and feel as if they’re playing with house money, while the deep, talented Lightning still feel like the favorites up 3-2 in the series and are confident based on recent experience they’ll be able to close the series out in their next opportunity.
Dallas was doubted against Calgary, Colorado and Vegas, and the injuries still make it anuphill climb to beat TampaBay twomore times in a row. Shots are 175-136 in favor of the Lightning and goaltender Anton Khudobin has had to come up big in his team’s two wins this series, but being counted out is just how the Stars like it.
“Every person really this whole time we’ve been in the bubble seeming to choose the other team we’re playing — we relish that,” said center Tyler Seguin, who has five points in the past two games after a five-game drought. “We believe in each other. We’ve got a confident group, and we don’t want to leave the bubble, so we’re having fun.”
That’s whatmade the first OT so troubling for the Stars, who put the Lightning on their heels to take Game 1. Suddenly, the same team that buzzed and attacked until Joe Pavelski tied it in the third period Saturday night was playing not to lose when one goal against would end the season.
The attacking mentality returned, leading to Corey Perry’s goal in double overtime, and the
Stars get one more shot to prove they belong here. Of course, they’re taking an us-against-the world outside the bubble approach.
“We just battle,” said Perry, who along with Pavelski has three goals
in two games. “It doesn’t matter. We believe in that dressing room. We came here with 51 people, and all of those guys in that dressing room believe that we could go out and get this done. That’s all that really matters.”
All that matters to the Lightning is they’re still in control of the series. Only they can win the Cup on Monday night, and they believe playing the same way as Game 5 will be enough to finish this off and celebrate.
They’ll have to do it without injured captain Steven Stamkos, who’s out for the rest of the series.
Led by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s ability to bounce back like the Vezina Trophy finalist he is, Tampa Bay is 6-0 after a loss this postseason. Vasilevskiy has a 1.41 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in those games.