(Las Vegas) Not only do the Stars get few scoring chances against Vegas, but for long stretches Dallas doesn’t even direct the puck to the net.
This is why the Golden Knights are back home leading 2-0 in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Match number 3 will take place on Saturday evening.
In the second period of the first game, there were almost nine minutes played when the Stars got their first shot on goal.
In the second game, the Stars didn’t get a shot in the final 5:38 of the game.
“There’s little space in the neutral zone,” admitted Stars forward Jason Robertson.
This type of defense greatly helped the Knights lift the Stanley Cup last year. There has been a downturn this season with Vegas struggling with injuries, but the team started to get back on track about a month ago.
“It definitely has to be one of our trademarks to be successful, to understand the way we have to play,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. We talk about it. Our guys bought into it. They saw the benefits in 2023.”
Since Cassidy took the helm two years ago, he has installed a defensive system that causes rivals to shoot from the flanks – in short, a system of protecting the slot.
Dallas actually outshot 29-15 in the first game, but Vegas was able to maintain control and lead throughout the game.
“We did a good job of eliminating time and space,” Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said. It forces opponents to either make decisions they don’t want to make, or to make the decision sooner than they would like. »