The day after the victory of the Florida Panthers in the last seconds of the fourth overtime (!) as a curtain-raiser for the East final against the Carolina Hurricanes, the West final will kick off tonight at T-Mobile Arena.
The first game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars will be shown starting at 8 p.m. on TVA Sports and on TVA Sports Direct.
All observers agree that this confrontation between these two powers will be thrilling.
The team playing at home has a clear advantage. The Golden Knights boast one of the best crowds in the National Hockey League, which should give the Pacific Division champions a bit of a boost. The Golden Knights have won four of their six playoff games from the comfort of home.
The Stars also play their local matches in a hostile and festive environment.
In the longer term, it’s their depth that we will have to worry about, but for now, a gain to start the series is very likely because of the parity between the two formations.
DeBoer’s revenge?
The Stars beat the Golden Knights in five games at this same stage in the 2020 playoffs. At the time, head coach Peter DeBoer was on the enemy side.
DeBoer is feverish about the possibility of revenge.
The 54-year-old was shown the way out by the “Golden Knights” on March 16, 2022, after spending three seasons behind the team’s bench. DeBoer became the Stars’ head coach a month after that firing.
“Obviously, I don’t hide that this series has a special meaning. It would be the same for anyone in this situation. It happens all the time in the world, doesn’t it? You leave a job and you find a new position, except that now you face your old team in the conference final.
“The important thing for me is to focus on hockey and on the players. It’s not about Pete DeBoer and his story with Vegas,” he added.
An unlikely starter
If goaltender Jake Oettinger can display more consistency in net, DeBoer and the Stars’ chances of success will increase.
The author of a sparkling season marked by a 37-11-11 record and a .919 save percentage has had its ups and downs in the playoffs (.903 save percentage), but he had the merit of up at the appropriate time in the deciding matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
The Stars are aiming for a second appearance in four years in the Stanley Cup Final. Their opponents only participated in their first year of existence in 2018. They had then lost in five games against the Washington Capitals.
As for the Golden Knights, they will rely on goaltender Adin Hill, who is fourth in the team hierarchy, behind Logan Thompson, Robin Lehner and Laurent Broissoit, who was injured during Game 3 against the Oilers. Edmonton. The first two have been in the infirmary for a long time.