Entering a win-or-go-home Game 7 against Vegas 10 days ago, the Stars preached how big of an advantage home ice would be.
Dallas had worked all regular season to finish as the best team in the Western Conference, and just one point shy of best in the entire league, to guarantee home ice in the most important playoff games.
While the rocking American Airlines Center building helped Dallas advance to the second round, where it leads the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 through five games, it wasn’t enough for the Stars to close out the series on home ice Wednesday.
In fact, Dallas’ home-ice advantage hasn’t been much of an advantage at all this playoffs.
The Stars are now below .500 with a 3-4 record in the playoffs at home this year. On the road, they’re a near-perfect 4-1, earning two wins at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas and another two at Ball Arena in Denver.
But in most of Dallas’ opportunities to win at home, it’s fallen flat.
“We feel good here. We like playing here,” Stars forward Joe Pavelski said. “We’ve got to take care of our opportunities here when we get them like this. A missed opportunity for us tonight.”
The Stars started the playoffs 0-2 at home, nearly allowing their season to slip away to the Golden Knights. In Game 1 against Colorado, they blew a three-goal lead and nearly sacrificed a four-goal lead in Game 2.
With a chance to close the series out in Game 5 Wednesday, they gave up the most goals they have all playoffs in a 5-3 loss, including three in the third period.
“Obviously, the fourth one is always the hardest,” Stars forward Jason Robertson said. “We expected a tough game, and we got one.”
The Stars were a better road team than they were at home. They earned points 69.5% of the time in opponents’ buildings but just 68.3% of the time at American Airlines Center. Over half of their total points this season (57) came on the road.
The Stars ranked second in the league in the regular season in goals per game on the road (3.46) and third in the league in goals against (2.63). While they were still fourth in the league in goals at home (3.71), they dropped to 17th in goals against (3.02).
In the postseason, the Stars are allowing 3.14 goals per game at home. They’re allowing half as many (1.6) on the road.
However, Stars coach Pete DeBoer wasn’t concerned about the home record Wednesday night. He said he’s taken positives away from all of the Stars’ home games this round.
“I thought we played some pretty good hockey. We could have won those games,” DeBoer said. “It’s not like we’re playing really poorly at home. I think we’re not finding ways to win, which we do on the road. It’s a fine line.”
Plus, Colorado played its best game of the series when it needed it. Its desperation kicked in and star players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar came alive.
“A couple things that happened were really self-inflicted,” DeBoer said. “One’s a goal at the end of the [first] period with [0.6] seconds. You’ve got to get out of the period there. Their power play goes 2-for-2. I know we had a penalty there at the end, but that was kind of a moot point, so tough to win when those types of things aren’t in your favor.”
The Stars will need to take advantage of their road success one more time Friday night at Ball Arena to close out the series.
If they can’t, they’ll be in store for another Game 7 matchup on home ice where anything can happen.
On X/Twitter: @Lassimak
