SLATE PREVIEW
"Why not us?" That's Peter DeBoer's message as the Stars attempt to even up the series and force a deciding Game 7 after winning staving off elimination for two straight games.
Jamie Benn will return after serving his two-game suspension, and Ty Dellandrea – who was healthy scratched for Game 7 against the Kraken – has played the hero after scoring two goals in Game 5. Bruce Cassidy said the Knights to play with more urgency after giving the puck away 24 times and blowing two separate one-goal leads. A win will secure the Knights' second Stanley Cup Finals berth in franchise history in their sixth year of existence.
GOALIES
Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger are expected to start. Hill holds a .931 save percentage in the series while Oettinger has been subpar at .896, though Oettinger held the Knights to just four goals on 68 shots (.941) in Games 4 and 5.
VALUE PLAYS
Ty Dellandrea, DAL vs. VGK ($7,500): Dellandrea emerged as the hero in Game 5 and hopefully it's the start of a hot streak. Playoff teams are littered with players who step up in big moments, and Dellandrea was that guy despite sitting out as a healthy scratch in the previous rounds. He's scored two goals on seven shots in three games this series while averaging 15 minutes per game – not bad for a third-line player.
LINE STACKS
Jack Eichel (C - $15,000), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $13,500), Ivan Barbashev (W - $7,500)
The steal on this line is Barbashev, who has scored a point in all but two games in the series. He scored the opening goal in Game 5 and despite playing a complementary role on this line, has been very effective at finishing on what few shots he gets on net. This has been the Knights' top-scoring line on the road in the playoffs.
Roope Hintz (C - $14,000), Jason Robertson (W - $16,000), Joe Pavelski (W - $12,500)
If the Stars are going to force a Game 7, either Oettinger is lights out or their top line is carrying their offense again. They've combined for 34 points at home, including 10 goals at even strength. Their 5-on-5 play will be key since only one power play was awarded in Game 5 and the refs will want to put the whistles away as the series nears its end.
DEFENSEMEN
Thomas Harley, DAL vs. VGK ($7,000): It was encouraging Harley was able to score two helpers even though the Stars didn't get any power play opportunities. With Miro Heiskanen doing most of the heavy lifting on defense, it has forced the Stars to rely on Harley for some offense. While Harley can be boom-or-bust, in showdown formats he represents one of the better value plays on defensemen in a series where the forwards have done almost all of the scoring.
