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Dallas Stars Daily Links: How The West Was Won

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

The Dallas Stars did it again. They ignored the haters, flipped off the odds, and delivered the goods when it mattered. And now they’ve defeated another heavily favored opponent to win the Western Conference.

How do they keep doing it? At this point, it’s just part of this team’s unlikely identity, writes Dan Rosen of NHL.com.

Tyler Seguin is going to his third Stanley Cup final, and his first with the Stars, which makes him a sort of old hand among his teammates. His perspective provides some context:

The Stars have won an NHL-high 12 games this season (regular season and postseason combined) when they have trailed going into the third period. They’ve done it three times in the postseason, including in each of their past two series-ending wins.

Why? How?

“Belief, our depth and the stuff we’ve gone through as a group over the years,” Seguin said. “This year, there’s just been so much stuff that has happened to us.”

Do the Stars have “enough drama left” to win four more games? If you look to Anton Khudobin, who has won eight consecutive games in which he made more than 30 saves, you might say so:

“He’s always been that goalie in practice that you don’t love shooting on because you don’t score much,” Seguin said. “He reminds me of a guy named Tim Thomas a little bit. He’s competitive, works hard, and he’s getting the job done.”

There’s more at the league’s official site: [NHL]

Stars Stuff

What. A. Win.

Of course this isn’t an ordinary year. But in the midst of the disruption, some songs remain the same.

In case you missed the Stars home call on Denis Gurianov’s winning snipe, bookmark this.

Guri and his murder slapper are your wholesome perma-loop for the day week year.

Dallas sports legend demonstrates that real recognizes real.

Around The League(s)

Yes, you’re awake, and yes, this really happened.

Touching the Campbell Bowl didn’t happen, though. Sheesh, don’t even think it.

The Eastern Conference championship could be decided tonight. Will the Tampa Bay Lightning put it away, or can the New York Islanders shock them again?

Elsewhere, the offseason is in full swing: The Washington Capitals have hired Peter Laviolette as bench boss.

The NHL Draft is going virtual, and the league is trying to make it feel as normal as possible.

The league has also put together a plan to make hockey more inclusive. Now it’s time to find out how it will work on the ground.

The pandemic reality is sinking in as NHL teams face a static cap for “the foreseeable future.” What will it mean for next season?

Hey, Don Cherry popped his head out this morning, and the “old man yells at cloud” GIF has already been deployed at least once.

Finally

Let Anton Khudobin’s rallying cry propel you through a long day after what was probably a pretty late night. Enjoy.

Talking Points