Stars’ X-factor against the Avalanche, and it isn’t Jason Robertson

The Dallas Stars played superb hockey during the regular season as they earned the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. They will have home ice advantage against any opponent they face in the Stanley Cup playoffs other than the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers.

Head coach Peter DeBoer has a strong and confident team, and that played out in the seventh game of the first round when they outlasted the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. It’s never easy to dethrone the reigning champions, but the Stars had the talent and depth to do just that when the pressure was at its highest.

Getting past the Avalanche in the second round is a completely different story. While Colorado was not the most consistent team in the regular season, they were explosive in their opening round 5-game triumph over the Winnipeg Jets. The Avs played sensational offense against one of the best defensive teams in the league. They scored at least 5 goals in every game in that series, and the Avs have an unstoppable characteristic to their game.

Center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar are two of the best players at their positions in the league, and it seems that they can’t be stopped. Powerful winger Mikko Rantanen is just behind those two superstars, and the best the Stars can do is slow down the Colorado attack.

Stars split first two games at home, but it was accomplished in disappointing fashion

The two teams split the first two games in Dallas, but it will be difficult for the Stars to assert themselves in Colorado. The Stars built a 3-0 lead in Game 1 but were beaten in overtime after a dramatic Colorado comeback.

Dallas held on for a 5-3 victory in Game 2, building a 4-0 lead before Colorado scored 3 third-period goals to put a scare into the Stars.

It’s apparent the Avalanche offense is imposing, and the Stars will need X-factors like Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Seguin to join a dominant star like Jason Robertson if they are going to stay competitive throughout the series.

Johnston is likely to be an NHL All-Star for years to come. The soon-to-be 21-year-old is completing his second season with the Stars and he is coming off a season in which he scored 32 goals and added 33 assists. That came after he scored 24 goals and 17 assists as a rookie in 2022-23.

Johnston is a 6-1, 185-pound center and he has shown from the start that he is capable of scoring and making big plays at key moments.

Despite his youth, Johnston is the team’s leading scorer in the postseason with 5 goals and 3 assists. He is extremely elusive when he is in the high-danger scoring areas, and the Stars need him to continue in that role.

It may take more than just Johnston to give the Stars a fighting chance in the series, but their young star must continue to pressure Colorado goalie Alexander Georgiev with dangerous shots if Dallas is going to have a realistic chance of surviving this matchup and advancing in the postseason.

Stars need a key contribution from a talented veteran like Seguin

There’s little doubt that players like Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen and Johnston are asked to handle the majority of the offense for the Stars.

However, when playing an explosive opponent like the Avs, DeBoer is going to have to find additional offense. One of the players who must carry his weight is Seguin.

The 32-year-old Seguin is a consistent 20-goal scorer at this point in his career. He still has skating speed, but he is not as explosive as he was during his early years with the Boston Bruins or the prime of his career with the Stars.

However, Seguin is a smart offensive player with good moves in the attacking zone and it’s very clear that the Stars need their veterans to come through in this series.

Seguin scored a goal in the 5-3 victory in Game 2, and he could have been the hero in Game 1 because he had a great opportunity in overtime to end the game. However, his close-in shot was stopped by Georgiev and the Avs were able to follow up with a decisive overtime goal by Miles Wood.

Seguin scored 25 goals and added 27 assists during the regular season. He has 1 goal and 3 assists in the postseason, and its quite clear that the Stars need quite a bit more from him during this series.

He is capable of providing it, but he is going to have to pick it up quickly. Seguin has scored 21 goals and 41 assists in 123 career postseason games.