DALLAS– Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer had so many emotions to process after the Game 7 victory over his former team.
There were still those mixed feelings from last year, when the Vegas Golden Knights beat Dallas in the Western Conference final and that team he had so much affection for won its first Stanley Cup. And there was enormous joy in overcoming them in his second chance at the postseason with the Stars.
“Obviously, I really wanted to win this series. I mean, we wanted our turn,” DeBoer said after Sunday night’s 2-1 series finale victory. “We feel like we did everything right all year to get the top seed. And then you draw a team like Vegas, which I honestly think they have a stronger team than last year. And to overcome the adversity of losing 2-0, there is a lot to unravel.”
After losing the first two games at home, the Stars came back to win a close series. Both teams scored 16 goals, and the margin was never more than two goals at any point.
“I don’t think either team could sit here and say they were dominating the series, or that they were really at their best all the time,” said Bruce Cassidy, who two years ago replaced DeBoer as Vegas coach. “I don’t think you’ve seen either team really reach their peak. But part of that credit has to go to the opposition.”
The Stars now have a quick turnaround even though they could stay at home. Game 1 of the second-round series against Colorado will be Tuesday night, a week after the Avalanche wrapped up their opening round with a Game 5 victory over Winnipeg.
Vegas, which had 22 players back from its Cup-winning squad, enters the offseason wondering what might have happened without all the injuries during the season. While the group was together at the end, captain Mark Stone didn’t even play until the postseason with three trade deadline acquisitions that might not have made it if he wasn’t on long-term injured reserve.
“We did very well from the start, our whole team was together and then the adversity started. We have had nine surgeries this year. Nine guys… two of them internal surgeries,” Cassidy said. “It takes a while to get back into rhythm. That would be the unfortunate part. They came in and got healthy enough for the playoffs. That was the positive, and now you is trying to get a team ready quickly.”
Stone lacerated his spleen on Feb. 20 and didn’t return to full-contact practice until two days before the series opener. Alex Pietrangelo had a non-COVID illness in late March and later had an appendectomy. Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier also missed games late in the season.
“I don’t think anyone in this room thought we wouldn’t have an opportunity to win,” Pietrangelo said.
“I really thought we could have done some damage in the future. I’m sure Dallas wasn’t happy about facing us in the first round either,” Stone said. “It’s disappointing, but I think for our organization, it fuels the fire. We will be ready by September to come back here next season.”
DeBoer is 8-0 in Game 7s in his career with four teams, including a second-round series with Dallas against Seattle last year before facing the Knights.
The coach has been in all four Game 7s for the Knights, who are 2-2 in those games. DeBoer was the coach in the 2020 and 2021 victories, and on the San Jose bench when the Sharks beat them in 2019.
“They wanted to come back and I think they felt like they had a team to do it,” DeBoer said. “There was a lot at stake for us too, I think just because of the season we had. … All the work we put in this year and how well we played throughout the season to win first place, get that draw and get eliminated would have been hard to swallow. “
Instead, DeBoer celebrated with a few beers and waited for another series.
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