2020 NHL Stanley Cup Series Review: (3) Dallas Stars vs. (6) Calgary Flames

This was the first meeting between the franchises since 1980-81, when the Stars were located in Minnesota. Dallas came in to the series after an ok round robin, finishing third. Calgary to beat the Winnipeg Jets to qualify. As much as it was a new meeting between the teams, the result was like old times, as the Stars knocked off the Flames in six games to advance to the second round.

Games

Calgary Flames - 3

Dallas Stars - 2

Both teams would get a couple shots each early on, but it wouldn't be until a Flames powerplay when the scoreboard was found. A 3-on-2 rush resulted in some quick passing from Mikeal Backlund, Milan Lucic, and Dillon Dube. Dube was the one who finished it, blasting a one-timer past Anton Khudobin to open the scoring for the Flames. Dube looked to extend the lead later on, but Khudobin stopped his breakaway attempt. Dube had the last laugh though, as late in the period, he drove across the crease and beat Khudobin to make it 2-0. Dallas pressed in the second, looking to get on the board. The Stars eventually got one, as a point shot by Denis Gurianov bounced off a Flames defenseman and into the net. Seconds later, Jamie Benn tied the game with a point shot of his own, as Cam Talbot couldn't handle the bouncing puck. The game remained tied for all of four minutes. Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson would skate the puck into the offensive zone and wrist a shot over Khudobin's blocker to put Calgary back in the lead. Despite a few chances in the third - along with a powerplay late in the game - Dallas was unable to tie the game again. Calgary hung on to take Game 1.

Calgary Flames - 4

Dallas Stars -  5

Dube continued his goal-scoring ways early in this game. Just 19 seconds in, he'd pounce on a loose puck in the slot and chip a backhander over Ben Bishop to put the Flame out in front. IT didn't take long for the Stars to tie it. A scramble in front of the Calgary net resulted in Alex Radulov's pass attempt bouncing off a skate and into the net. Dallas took the lead midway through the period. Radulov hit a streaking Miro Heiskanen with a lead pass, and the Stars defenseman wasted no time snapping the puck past Talbot. Dallas' attack didn't rest with the lead. They would extend the lead early in the second, as Heiskanen's shot from the boards beat an unsuspecting Talbot. Calgary got one back eight minutes later, as Derek Forbort;s point shot beat a screened Bishop. A penalty moments later would set Calgary back though.  Roope Hintz's initial shot was stop, but Corey Perry was there to put home the rebound. Determined to get back in it in the third, it looked like the Flames were on their way to do so. After a flurry of chances off a rush - including a pad stack save by Bishop - Andrew Mangiapane looked to have scored. The review though showed that the Flames forward had kicked the puck into the net. Calgary did get a four-minute powerplay out of it, as Tyler Seguin was called for a double-minor high stick, but they could not capitalize on that opportunity. Dallas would get a powerplay of their own midway through the period, but it didn't go the way they expected. John Klingberg bobbling of a pass allowed Tobias Reider to out-race him for the puck, go in on a breakaway, and snap in a shorthanded goal. Calgary got one more powerplay late in the game, and took advantage of it. A slap pass from Elias Lindholm was redirected by Sam Bennett into the Stars net. As regulation was drawing to a close, Dallas was determined to avoid overtime. Perry found Jamie Oleksiak with a cross-ice pass, and the Star's defenseman made no mistake in firing the puck into the net before Talbot could get over to save it. The remaining 40 seconds would expire, as Dallas won Game 2 to tie the series.

 

Dallas Stars - 0

Calgary Flames - 2

The game was slow to get going shooting-wise, as both teams didn't get many shots in the beginning. Seguin had a couple of good chances for the first half of the period, as two of his shots rang off the post. Both each got a powerplay opportunity during the period, but failed to capitalize on their respective man advantages. Dallas' pressure early in the second resulted in another powerplay opportunity for them. However, it would be the shorthanded Flames that benefited from it. Mikael Backlund managed to steal the puck and muscle his way to the front of the net. Khudobin's attempt to poke the puck away backfired, as the Stars goalie ended up flipping the puck over his pad and behind him, giving the Flames the lead. The closest Dallas can to tying it in the second was on a powerplay near the end of the period. Joe Pavelski found an open John Klingberg on a cross-ice pass, but the Stars defenseman put his one-timer into the side of the net. Dallas continued to press in the third, trying to tie the game. Their effort was for naught though. Calgary extended the lead midway through the third, as a TJ Brodie point shot beat a screened Khudobin. Talbot remained strong in Calgary's net, as he stopped 35 shots in his shutout effort. The Flames take Game 3 to once again take the series lead.

 

Dallas Stars - 5 (OT)

Calgary Flames - 4

The first period was more lively in this one. Despite the increase in shots it did take a bit for the first goal. A Dallas powerplay late in the period resulted in Pavelski chipping the puck past Talbot to give the Stars the lead. Calgary returned the favour early on the second, as Johnny Gaudreau backhanded the puck over a downed Khudobin on the powerplay to tie the game. The game didn't remain tied at 1-1 for long, as Pavelski got his second of the game with a shot that beat Talbot's blocker. A powerplay shortly after helped the Flames tie the game again, as Sam Bennett blasted a shot into the back of the Stars net. Bennett added another one later in the period, popping in a rebound to give Calgary their first lead of the game.  Dallas managed to tie the game before the period ended. On the powerplay, Gurianov one-timer from the faceoff dot beating Talbot glove-side, tying it at 3-3. While both teams' powerplay were working this game, it was the Flames' penalty kill that got them back in the lead. Derek Ryan's pass was redirected by a streaking Reider, and found it's way past Khudobin. The Stars pressed for another tying goal. They looked to have it late in the third, as Jason Dickinson popped in a rebound. However, the Flames challenged it as Perry was in the crease and impeded Talbot's ability to make a save. The challenge was successful, as the goal was called back. That didn't deter Dallas' efforts though. With 11.9 seconds left on the clock, Pavelski completed his hat trick. The Stars forward swept in a rebound to tie the game and send it to overtime. It was reviewed for offside, but the call stood. Andrew Cogliano had the best chance to end overtime early, as he deked his way toward the net, but he could not beat the outstretched arm of Talbot. The game would end just over 16 minutes into the extra frame, as Klingberg's point shot was redirected by Radulov and into the Calgary net. By winning Game 4, Dallas tied the series, making it a best-of-three.

Calgary Flames - 1

Dallas Stars - 2

Dallas pressed early, looking to get an early lead. It wasn't until midway through the period when they finally broke through. A counter attack saw Seguin pass to a streaking Benn, who redirected the puck into the net before running in to it. Calgary did tie it before the period ended, as Backlund's wrist shot beat a screened Khudobin. The Flames did pick up their play a bit in the second, but it was still the Stars who lead the shot counter. Either way, both teams failed to take the lead in the middle frame. That changed earl in the third. From the top of the faceoff circle, Klingberg released a wrist shot that went over the glove of Talbot and into the net. The Flames would change roles, as they out-shot the Stars in the third, looking for a tying goal. It was not to be though, as Khudobin stopped everything that was fired at him. Dallas hung on to win 2-1, putting them a game away from the next round.  

 

Dallas Stars - 7

Calgary Flames - 3

Facing elimination, the Flames were determined to extend the series. Andrew Mangiapane got things started almost four minutes in, as he tipped Brodie's point shot into the back of the Stars net. Two minutes later, Calgary would capitalize on a powerplay. Bennett's shot for the slot would be stopped, but Gaudreau - from behind the goal line - shot the puck into the crease, where it bounced off Khudobin's pad and into the net. Andersson added one a minute later, putting the Flames up 3-0 just six-and-a-half minutes into the game. Dallas caught a break midway through the period, as they were awarded a powerplay. During the man advantage, Heiskanen's one-timer found it;s way past Talbot and into the Flames' net. If the beginning of the first belonged to the Flames, then the early part of the second was all Stars. Just a minute in, Talbot's attempt to clear was picked off by Klingberg. The Stars defenseman dished it to Gurianov, who proceeded to beat a screen Talbot. Moment later, the game was tied, as Esa Lindell's point shot bounced off Pavelski and Gurianov en route to the Calgary net (Gurianov was given credit for the goal). Looking to change the momentum, Calgary pulled Talbot and put David Rittich in net.  It didn't help though, and two minutes later, a powerplay opportunity led to Dallas taking the lead. On the man advantage, Gurianov's one-timer was stopped, but Radek Faksa managed to poke in the rebound. Minutes later, a bobbled save by Rittich would bounce off Pavelski's skate and behind the Flames netminder. Later in the period, Gurianov capped off his hat-trick, as he went in on a 1-on-1 and used the defender as screen to beat Rittich. Calgary did manged to get a couple chances in the second, especially on a powerplay late in the period, but none of them found their way past Khudobin. The Flames kept it up in the third, trying to find a way back into it. Gurianov had other plans, as the Stars forward scored midway though the period, capping off his four-goal performance. That would be the last of the goals, as the 7-3 Stars win pushed them into the next round of the playoffs.

Three Thoughts on the Series

1. I think Dallas had too much time on the powerplay.
   
2. Nothing could sum up the Flames in the second period of Game 6 better than Matt Tkachuk.
   
3. Jamie Benn's team wasn't willing to go down this round.
   

Picture of the Series

 

Khudobin has seen things.

Highlight of the Series

 

There were some nice goals, but this sequence had everything: the two-pad-stack save, the double-minor high sticking penalty,  the golazo, the review to determine the golazo was not good.