How the Knights fared against their first-round opponent this year
The Golden Knights know their first-round playoff opponent well. They’re even more familiar with the opposing coach.
The Knights will meet the Dallas Stars and Pete DeBoer again after defeating them in six games in the 2023 Western Conference Final.
DeBoer, in an incredible piece of trivia, has been involved in every playoff appearance in franchise history as friend or foe. He led the Knights to NHL semifinal appearances in 2020 and 2021. He also coached against the team with the San Jose Sharks in 2018 and 2019 before joining Dallas last season.
The Knights and Stars will square off again starting Monday in what has a chance to be a terrific first-round series. The Knights should be confident after winning every game between the two sides in the regular season.
Whether that will matter in the playoffs remains to be seen. The Knights and Stars haven’t seen each other since Dec. 9.
Here’s a look at how each matchup played out this season:
Oct. 17
Center William Karlsson scored a game-tying goal with 2:59 remaining in regulation at T-Mobile Arena to set up a 3-2 shootout victory for the Knights.
Goaltender Adin Hill made 24 saves and stopped two of the three shootout attempts he faced. Defenseman Shea Theodore and right wing Jonathan Marchessault scored on their attempts for the Knights, who improved to 4-0 on the season.
Defenseman Kaedan Korczak finished with a goal and an assist in what proved to be a chippy game. Defenseman Nic Hague and Stars captain Jamie Benn fought 1:10 into the second period. Defenseman Ben Hutton and left wing Mason Marchment dropped the gloves 12:05 later.
Nov. 22
The two teams couldn’t settle things in regulation once again when they met a month later at American Airlines Center.
Center Jack Eichel made sure a shootout wouldn’t be necessary this time.
Eichel scored 1:57 into overtime to seal a 2-1 win for the Knights. Goaltender Adin Hill picked up his only assist of the season — and just the fourth of his career — on the game winner.
Hill was strong in net as well, making 31 saves in the victory.
Dec. 9
No overtime was required in the third matchup between the two teams. The Knights got to goaltender Jake Oettinger early and often in a 6-1 win in Dallas. The six goals allowed were tied for Oettinger’s season high.
Chandler Stephenson struck first 2:24 into the first period and defenseman Zach Whitecloud followed with another goal 3:12 after that. Former Knights Evgenii Dadonov got the Stars on the board with 9:53 remaining until the first intermission, but nothing went right for Dallas after that.
Captain Mark Stone, center Nicolas Roy, right wing Pavel Dorofeyev and left wing Paul Cotter scored to complete the rout. Goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced to earn the victory.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
