Stars need more production from their stars to avoid elimination against the Oilers
Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund scored seven of the Dallas Stars' 13 goals in the second round to move on to the Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers, yet that lopsided production was also a red flag.
Three-time Stanley Cup champion Ken Daneyko before the series started figured that needed to change.
"They do have more of a game-breaker with Mikko Rantanen," Daneyko said. 'But the Johnstons and Dadonovs and the Duchenes and Seguin and Benn — whoever — these guys are going to have score some big goals or make a few big plays to beat the Oilers and the depth they have.'
While Tyler Seguin has scored twice, Wyatt Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov, Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn have one goal between them, and now the Stars find themselves down two games to one in the best-of-seven series. They went nearly 100 minutes without scoring on Edmonton's Stuart Skinner from Games 1 through 3 and went another 24 minutes without a goal on the way to a 6-1 loss Sunday.
With the status of injured center Roope Hintz uncertain after getting slashed in the left foot/ankle by Darnell Nurse in Game 2 badly enough that he was out Sunday and with Rantanen's playoff-opening magic seemingly wearing off, Dallas needs more offense from its top players to avoid getting pushed to the brink of elimination.
'Five on five we've got to find a way to finish our chances a little bit more,' Rantanen told reporters in Edmonton. 'Obviously Skinner is making good saves, but we've got to make life harder for him.'
Skinner has stopped 80 of the 86 shots he has faced, but he's not the only netminder to stymie the Stars away from home this postseason. Connor Hellebuyck blanked them in Game 5 last round in Winnipeg, and their scoreless streak on the road lasted a franchise-worst 178:57 before Jason Robertson scored their lone goal Sunday.
The impatience is building.
'It's something that's tough when you get so many chances,' said Rantanen, who's tied for the playoff lead in goals with nine but none so far against the Oilers. 'It's frustrating, and it's something that it's hard to not let the frustration come, but we've got to do our best to not let it come to our minds.'
Coach Peter DeBoer, in the West final for a sixth time in seven years and aiming to reach the Cup final with a third different NHL team, does not sound frustrated.
"There's good signs in our game," DeBoer said in his post-Game 5 news conference. 'If we can keep bringing that game to the rink, I like our chances of coming back in this series.'
Robertson scoring his first goal of the playoffs is one of the reasons for optimism. He missed the entire first round against Colorado with injury and is only now starting to look like his regular-season point-a-game self.
DeBoer called Game 5 Robertson's best since returning.
"There's no doubt he's been a step behind since he came back in," DeBoer said. 'We need him. We need that scoring out of him. We haven't had it.'
Even without depth scoring, Dallas is right there in the series thanks to a barrage of three power-play goals in 5 1/2 minutes in the third period of Game 1. The Oilers have been the better team at 5 on 5 for long stretches, but the Stars have not wilted under pressure.
'A great trait to have: they can be outplayed, but they're opportunistic,' said Daneyko, now an NHL Network analyst. 'They win games when they're outplayed. You have to be able to do that in the playoffs.'
And sometimes win away from home, too, which is easier said than done given the crazed crowd in Edmonton.
'We still have an opportunity to try to at least get one on the road,' Robertson said. 'We know what we have to do. A lot of veterans in this locker room, and they're going to be up to the challenge on Tuesday.'
Hintz could return after taking part in an optional practice Monday, with DeBoer saying the 28-year-old Finn will take warmups to determine if he can play.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
41 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Rockets Future Outlook Soars Following Kevin Durant Addition
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Houston Rockets showed plenty of growth last season. Despite having a very young roster, they won 52 regular-season games and claimed the second seed in the Western Conference. However, their inexperience, not to mention their lack of shot-making when the pace slows down, cost them in the playoffs. They ended up losing in the first round to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and they scored no more than 93 points in three of their four losses during that series. But just weeks later, the Rockets rocked the NBA by landing future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. They also added veteran 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith and veteran center Clint Capela, and many feel they have a real shot at winning it all. Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns and Shaq's OGs looks on during 2025 NBA All-Star Practice & Media Availability at Oakland Arena on February 15, 2025 in Oakland, California. Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns and Shaq's OGs looks on during 2025 NBA All-Star Practice & Media Availability at Oakland Arena on February 15, 2025 in Oakland, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently did an article in which he gave the over/under and predicted win totals of all 30 NBA teams. The Rockets' over/under was listed at 55.5 wins, and Bailey projected them to have a 52-30 record once again. Read more: Former NBA Star Throws Shade at Rockets' Kevin Durant "It may seem silly to have the Houston Rockets winning the same number of games they did in 2024-25," Bailey wrote. "... In this Western Conference, though, getting any number of wins over 50 is going to be tough. And the Rockets presumed leading scorer, Durant, turns 37 in September. He played 75 games in 2023-24, but he's averaged just under 55 over the half-decade since returning from his ruptured Achilles. "That and a lack of high-end offensive creation beyond KD could limit Houston's chances of hitting a very high over-under." Durant is still either in his prime or close to it. He averaged 26.6 points on 52.7% overall shooting and 43% from 3-point range last season, and he appeared in 62 games after playing in 75 games during the previous season. But as Bailey noted, Houston lacks other players who can create and hit their own shot in a halfcourt setting. Center Alperen Sengun put up 19.1 points per game and made his first All-Star game this past season, but the rest of the team's roster is lacking in the shot creation category. Houston was heavily dependent on its defense to create fast-break scores during the 2024-25 campaign. When it faces an excellent defensive team come playoff time, there could be too much pressure on the greybearded Durant to bail out his mates. Read more: ESPN Personality Calls Out Knicks Star Karl-Anthony Towns The could also be plenty of pressure on Amen Thompson to develop. Thompson, who averaged 14.1 points per game last season, is thought to perhaps have some star potential, and if he busts out this fall and winter, it would greatly raise the Rockets' potential. If not, they, not to mention Durant, could be facing another early playoff exit. For more on the Rockets and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Blackhawks Hall of Fame rankings: Steve Larmer's moment? Duncan Keith a lock?
The Chicago Blackhawks were never going to retire everyone's number. Whether it was their great players of the past — the likes of Steve Larmer and Doug Wilson — or the most recent ones who were part of multiple Stanley Cup runs, the team can only raise so many to the rafters. Fans had been asking for years for the Blackhawks to figure out another way to honor those players. To be fair, the Blackhawks have been in talks for years about doing such a thing. With their centennial anniversary now arriving, they decided it was time to unveil their own Hall of Fame. Advertisement Fans, select media and Blackhawks alumni will have an equally weighted vote on two categories of players — Heritage and Modern — and a player from each category will be elected into the Blackhawks Hall of Fame annually. With it being late August and still weeks away from real hockey to discuss again, we decided to rank the nominees for the first Blackhawks Hall of Fame class. Scott Powers (1): No, it's not getting your number retired, but it'd be significant for Larmer to be the first Heritage member inducted into the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. I will say, Charlie Gardiner would have been my vote here if he had been included on the ballot. He might be the most forgotten Blackhawks player. Mark Lazerus (1): Larmer rocked. He belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame and the United Center rafters. Powers (2): A Norris Trophy and three other top-four finishes is pretty good. Lazerus (2): Absolutely wild to me that a defenseman had 39 goals in 76 games the way Wilson did in 1981-82. He's better known by younger fans for his tenure as Sharks general manager, but Wilson was one heck of a player. Lazerus (3): When it comes to these old-timers who played an entirely different sport than the one we see today, all you can do is compare them to their contemporaries. And from 1942-1950, Bentley's prime, he was second in the league with 421 points in 369 games, behind only the iconic Elmer Lach. (I have never heard of Elmer Lach.) Powers (4): What's incredible is that from 1943 to 1949, either Bentley or his brother Max finished in the top five in Hart voting. Lazerus (6): Roenick's seven full seasons in Chicago were spectacular. And as I said in a recent mailbag, he's the first 'heritage era' Blackhawk I'd put on the roster right now. Fabulous hockey player in his prime. But he spent most of his career in other teams' jerseys. When you're talking about a team Hall of Fame, that matters. Powers (3): This was one of our larger discrepancies. For me, Roenick was at another level in his prime. His 1.14 points per game with the Blackhawks is also second only to Denis Savard's 1.24. Lazerus (5): Statistically, compared with his peers, Belfour's numbers are surprisingly pedestrian (his .904 save percentage during his Hawks years was just 12th in the league over that time), but anyone who watched Belfour play knows how great he was. Powers (5): You could argue he should be higher on the list with two Vezinas during his time with the Blackhawks. Advertisement Powers (6): Mosienko's hat trick in 21 seconds is an unbelievable story. Lazerus (4): Small guy, big-time player. Powers (7): I didn't realize how many categories Hull is in the top 10 in franchise history. Lazerus (9): A remarkably consistent producer for 13 seasons in Chicago. Must have galled him to be called 'The Silver Jet,' though. I hated when my older brother's friends called me 'Little Laz.' Powers (9): Murray scored 45 goals and won the Selke in the 1985-86 season. Lazerus (8): Funny that he had to go off offensively to win the award for best defensive forward. Murray was always a great two-way player. Had a bit of Marián Hossa in him. Powers (8): Gottselig was one of the best players on the Blackhawks' first two Stanley Cup champions. Lazerus (10): Fun fact: He was the second Russian-born player in NHL history. No, Mike Smith didn't draft him. Lazerus (7): An early adopter of the hockey helmet and a member of the famed MPH line with Dennis Hull and Jim Pappin in the 1970s. Powers (11): I could probably be convinced I'm wrong about good old Pit. I just didn't feel like the stats warranted higher. Lazerus (11): I genuinely love that this ballot pits Mush March against Jeremy Roenick. What a ludicrous exercise and impossible task this is. Powers (10): The 5-foot-5 March played all 761 of his NHL games with the Blackhawks. Lazerus (12): Graham's mustache is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Powers (12): Jonathan Toews, Murray and Graham are the only Blackhawks to ever win the Selke. Graham also scored 10 shorthanded goals in a single season. Lazerus (13): We're really getting into the 'it's an honor to be nominated' stage here. Powers (13): Koroll played his whole 814-game career with the Blackhawks and settled in the Chicago area. Advertisement Powers (14): It doesn't feel like any of the guys near the end of this list will ever get in. Lazerus (15): I'd love to see Blackhawks fans organize a 'John Scott to the All-Star Game'-like movement and get one of these longtime, lifelong workaday Blackhawks in ahead of some of the flashier names. Powers (15): Nesterenko played with the Blackhawks until he was 40. Lazerus (14): Thanks for playing, Eric. Lazerus (1): Toews and Patrick Kane were the faces of the franchise for the Blackhawks' golden era, but Duncan Keith was the best player on the team. I bet you Toews and Kane would say the same. A first-ballot Hall of Famer and two-time Norris Trophy winner who is somehow still underrated in the larger hockey world. Powers (2): Keith is the obvious choice, but he's undoubtedly going to have his number retired in the next couple of years, making him an automatic inductee. For that reason, I went with Patrick Sharp. He wasn't the best player on those teams, but he was there before things began to turn and played such a key role in all those Cup championships. Lazerus (3): Sharp never met a shot he didn't take, but people sleep on how complete a player he was. His 200-foot game often rivaled that of Toews and Hossa. Powers (1): I'm curious how long Sharp will actually have to wait to be inducted into this. Lazerus (2): Perhaps the best defensive defenseman of the modern era, both via the eye test and the analytics. And he did it while playing his off side the entire time. Powers (3): Hjalmarsson felt like he got his due by the end of his career. Lazerus (4): The emotional heartbeat of the team and everybody's obnoxious-but-endearing big brother. A pretty damn good hockey player, too. Powers (4): I know we voted him fourth, but he probably gets in next, right? Powers (5): It's too bad his career got cut short due to injuries. Lazerus (5): Never mind the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. You can make a decent case that he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame — a case I made a couple of years ago. Powers (6): It's going to be challenging for anyone outside those recent Cup teams to get in. Amonte will probably have to wait until he falls into the heritage category. Lazerus (6): He just sneaks in under the 'modern' criteria because his last Blackhawks season was 2001-02, but he might have had better luck with the 'heritage' group. Amonte was ninth in the NHL in goals during his eight seasons with Chicago. Advertisement Powers (8): Shaw was a key role player on the second two Cup teams, but I just didn't think he should have been ahead of Éric Dazé. Lazerus (7): Shaw might not have been as talented as some of the guys below him on this list, but he played a very important role on two Stanley Cup winners. That's a heck of a lot more than the rest of these guys can say. Lazerus (9): You still see No. 55 jerseys around the United Center on game day. Dazé had a very nice career on some truly awful teams, with just one playoff appearance in his last eight seasons. Imagine where those Blackhawks teams would have been without him. Powers (7): What could he have done if he had stayed healthy? Powers (9): Campbell was a significant signing for the organization and was a heck of a player, but this sort of felt like a kind gesture to him. He played just four seasons in Chicago. Lazerus (8): And just three of those seasons came in his prime. Excellent player. His signing was a watershed moment for the franchise. But come on. Powers (10): Zhamnov had a solid career, but the Blackhawks probably could have trimmed this ballot. Lazerus (10): Solid player. Productive, too. Has no chance of getting into this Hall of Fame in the next decade. Powers (11): In Sullivan's 34-goal season, he scored more shorthanded goals (8) than power-play goals (6). That's all I got. Lazerus (11): Really does feel like they were straining to get to 12 guys on the ballot here. Lazerus (12): Uh… Powers (12): See you in September! (Top photo of Steve Larmer: Lou Capozzola / USA Today Network) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
These 5 NBA offseason moves weren't splashy. They may help win 2026 title.
Think of the trade for Alex Caruso and what that did for the Thunder. Caruso, a defensive stopper, assimilated instantly into Oklahoma City's scheme and drew massive assignments — such as guarding Nuggets center Nikola Jokić — during the team's NBA Finals run. Think of the Bucks adding backup center Bobby Portis in free agency the offseason before they beat the Suns in six games to win their first NBA Finals in 50 seasons. Often, it's the overlooked moves that carry massive implications for a team's playoff hopes, and this offseason was no different. Here are five under-the-radar moves that may have gone unnoticed but may prove to be key to championship contention in 2025-26: Bruce Brown rejoins Nuggets Trading for Cameron Johnson boosts Denver's offense in a serious way. Signing veteran guard Bruce Brown — who was a member of the Nuggets' 2023 championship squad but had since moved on to the Pacers, Raptors and Pelicans — is all about leadership and defense. In his lone season in Denver, 2022-23, Brown averaged career-bests in points (11.5), assists (3.4) and minutes (28.5). Brown is an asset because he can switch on pick-and-rolls and helps facilitate on offense. He understands the culture and what's needed to win it all. Dorian Finney-Smith signs with Rockets This move was overshadowed by the trade to land Kevin Durant, but signing Dorian Finney-Smith feels like a move that was done in response to the rise of the Thunder. The Rockets, with Finney-Smith, suddenly have elite length and defensive athleticism at the wing, which should align with clamping Oklahoma City players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Finney-Smith can also hit 3s — he shot a career-best 41.1% from beyond the arc last season — so he also helps spread the floor for Houston. Another move worthy of consideration here is re-signing center Steven Adams, who allows the Rockets to play a two-big lineup, matching up with the Thunder duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Jordan Clarkson signs with Knicks They already had a set starting lineup with continuity and a pair of All-Stars who can ignite. What the Knicks didn't have was a reliable scoring option off the bench (and a coach who isn't afraid to call on reserves). Mike Brown, who isn't shy about extending the rotation, fixes the latter issue, but signing proven scorer Jordan Clarkson to a veteran minimum deal shores up the offense off the bench. Clarkson, 33, agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, making him available. The 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year, Clarkson has scored 8,045 points off the bench, which ranks 11th all-time and leads all active players. Jaylin Williams re-signs with Thunder They already won a championship with Jaylin Williams, or Jay Will — not to be confused with All-Star Jalen Williams (J-Dub). But in re-signing Jaylin Williams, OKC gets added flexibility with the 23-year-old backup forward. Williams averaged 5.9 points and 5.6 boards per game, though he played just 16.7 minutes per contest. But he recorded three triple-doubles in nine starts last season, averaging 14.7 points, 10.7 assists and 13 rebounds across those three games. Put a different way: when the Thunder need him to step up, he is more than capable. He may go on to be a key piece if the Thunder become the first repeat champs since 2018, or if they're hit by the injury bug. Sam Merrill re-signs with Cavaliers He re-signed on a four-year deal that basically went overlooked, but this move is all about replacing Ty Jerome, the Sixth Man of the Year finalist who signed with the Grizzlies. Merrill appeared in 71 regular-season games — a career high — and started three playoff games. He averaged just 7.2 points per game, but his 137 made 3-pointers ranked 12th among NBA reserves. He also posted a plus-minus of +330 off the bench, third best in the league. With more minutes at his disposal, Merrill, a member of the 2021 Bucks team that won the NBA Finals, should see a big jump in production.
