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What is wrong with the Dallas Stars power play? How special team and one player could turn series vs Vegas
The Dallas Stars had one of the best special teams in all of hockey during the regular season.
With a power play and penalty kill that both regularly sat in the top five, the Stars were able to rely on their special teams to win games and come up with the key goal or stop when they needed it most. Early in the postseason, that trend continued.
Dallas scored two power-play goals in Game 1 against the Minnesota Wild. They added three more in Game 2 and finished with nine over the six-game series. It was a huge part of their success and contributed to their advancement.
In the second round, they fell a bit but remained third with a 23.5% success rate with the extra man against the Seattle Kraken. Then, the Western Conference final began.
In two games against the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas has gone 1-5 on the power play. While that 20% is not a huge concern, their stats against Vegas all season long could be.
During the regular season, Dallas went 0-8 on the power play. That means that if it not for Jason Robertson finally breaking through in the second period of Game 2, the Stars would have gone five straight games against the Golden Knights without a power-play goal.
One Dallas Stars player could swing the power play in their favor
One big reason for the power play dip was the slump of Jason Robertson.
Robertson led the team with 13 power-play goals and 41 power-play points during the regular season. In the playoffs, he has tallied three goals and nine points with the extra man.
During his eight-game goal slump, however, (from Game 6 vs Minnesota to Game 1 vs Vegas), Robertson only tallied two power-play points. The Dallas Stars scored only four power-play goals over that span (0.5 per game).
His resurgence, including his power-play goal in Game 2, should provide a massive boost for Dallas. Not only does Robertson contribute a ton of goals on the power play, but he is also one of the best passers and draws a lot of attention from the penalty kill when he is playing well.
In a Conference finals round that has seen only 19 power-play opportunities in five games (3.8 per game), converting on the rare chances is vital.
If Robertson can continue to create chances, the Dallas Stars' power play should get going. If it does, this series could change in a flash.
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