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Pete DeBoer gets real on how Stars flipped series on Golden Knights

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated 5/2/24

The Dallas Stars began the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 deficit against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite the Stars being the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, somehow, they lost the first two at home and had their backs against the wall. But, days later, the Stars are now clinging to a 3-2 series lead after three straight wins.

How it happened has been surprising, but Stars coach Pete DeBoer explained how they have been able to turn things around, per ESPN.

“A credit to our group. You know, there wasn’t a lot of believers at that point. We went on the road into a tough environment, and kind of rolled up our sleeves and went to work. And you look up and six days later you’ve got a 3-2 lead and a chance to close out the the Stanley Cup champions.”

Jake Oettinger, the Stars goalie deserves a ton of credit for his Game 4 performance. Late in the third period, Oettinger had a must-see stop to keep the Stars lead and eventually give them the win.

OTTER! OTTER! OTTER! pic.twitter.com/c7VNDCRSTK

— z – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 2, 2024

After the game, DeBoer raved about Oettinger, who now has stopped all 55 shots faced in the third period of this series.

“He really has the ability to go to another level at the most important time of the game,” DeBoer said. “That was the third period tonight, that was the third period the other night.”

After a 2-0 deficit, it looked like a tough road ahead for the Stars. The Golden Knights won Game 1 4-3 and then took Game 2 by a score of 3-1 with both wins coming in Dallas. Now, all of a sudden, the Stars are one win away from closing out the defending Stanley Cup Champions and moving on to the next round.

Can the Stars close it out in Game 6?

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The tough thing coming up for Game 6 is the fact that the Stars will be playing in Las Vegas. However, they took both Games 3 and 4 in Vegas this series in a strange turn of events. It is a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, but the script has flipped quickly.

Last year, the Golden Knights never trailed in the series. Now, they face elimination in a must-win Game 6 in Las Vegas on Friday night. If they win, then it is a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday in Dallas.

Wyatt Johnson, who had two assists in the Game 5 win, admitted how it feels to turn things around, per ESPN.

“The resilience … I think it’s great how we’ve been able to battle back.”

The Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games to close out their series on Tuesday, await the winner of the Stars-Golden Knights series.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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