Three Thoughts - Whipped up in Winnipeg
Stars needed a huge effort in Game 5 to end the series and it didn't happen this time.
The math was due, and when the math is due, you probably figured what would happen next.
Winnipeg finally received some puck luck when they needed it most and turned a very tight elimination game into what could be called their best game of the playoffs.
The question now becomes whether this is a temporary stay of execution before a disappointing elimination or the start of a massive comeback—one where they rise up with their backs pressed squarely against the wall and manage to win three in a row on their way to their destiny.
That is the Winnipeg Jets story, which I grant you very few people reading this will be overly interested in. The truth is, this is a Dallas Stars newsletter, and everyone reading this will want to know why they didn’t play better.
So, what happened?
It wasn’t good enough. There was not enough composure and wisdom. There was not enough precision and execution. There was not enough good fortune and not enough desperation.
Dallas had the luxury on Thursday of attempting to play their normal playoff road game of “hang around and figure it out late,” and I applaud them for almost pulling it off. If you’re new around here, this is actually a very successful method for them. They have done this against Vegas, Colorado, and Winnipeg plenty in these last few years. But it is all based on a few things—great goaltending (check), great penalty killing (no check), and timely goal scoring (no goals).
One out of three won’t cut it.
It was a luxury because they had a 3–1 series lead, and this was their free spin in a playoff where you generally never get a free spin. Many have shouted at me that they are so frustrated the Stars just don’t power through and eliminate opponents when given the opportunity.
On one hand, I agree. Wouldn’t it be great if really excellent hockey teams would just give in more easily this time of year? Wouldn’t it be so much more fun if the enemy would fall easier—and maybe they even start carving some Dallas names on the Cup already? I think we would all sign up for an easier experience.
But on the other hand, I think we should all understand how difficult it is to deal with the Avalanche and Jets. I think we call it the toughest division in hockey and the toughest path to the Cup for a reason. The opponents are stubborn, talented, and desperate. Only your best efforts will get it done—and when I say effort, it isn’t about your desire to win but your ability to push it through. If people are tired of me telling them to respect these opponents and the difficulty of this path, I don’t know how to explain more clearly that Winnipeg is very good at winning games in their own rink and kicking and screaming to the end.
The Jets won easily in the end in Game 5, and now they get to try a third time to win a game in Dallas. If they can, they can save their entire season on Monday night. If they cannot, they can begin their summer after handshakes on Saturday in Texas, in the exact spot where Colorado suffered the same fate two weeks prior.