Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 16: Stars eliminate Golden Knights with Game 7 victory

The second round of the playoffs began while two teams still in the first round were fighting for their playoff lives in another Game 7 showdown during Sunday’s playoff action.

Zibanejad scores twice in Rangers’ 4-2 Game 1 win

Before we got to another intense Game 7 matchup, the second round kicked off for both the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes. With both teams having almost a week off, the NHL decided to get them started even with the first round still yet to conclude.

After so many low-scoring games that dragged on late into the third before we saw any goals, the Rangers and Canes reminded us that teams were allowed to score in the first 40 minutes. Mika Zibanejad opened the scoring just 2:46 into the game, but Jaccob Slavin tied it 62 seconds later before New York could even celebrate.

However, some lack of discipline from the Canes came back to bite them later in the period. They took three penalties in the first, and the Rangers scored on two of their power plays, with goals from Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck giving New York the 3-1 lead.

After a scoreless second period, the Canes attempted to claw their way back in the third, but the Rangers did enough to stay ahead. When Martin Necas scored to make it 3-2, Artemi Panarin responded to give the New York the two-goal lead again. When Seth Jarvis scored in the final two minutes of the game, the Rangers managed to keep the comeback to just that goal and take a 1-0 series lead with the 4-2 win. On top of Zibanejad’s two goals, he also had an assist on Trocheck’s goal to finish the night with three points, although he was also very close to completing the hat trick with an empty net goal before Brent Burns saved the day.

Mika Zibanejad was THIIISSSS close to a Game 1 hatty 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vh9kTNS820

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 5, 2024

Radek Faksa plays hero with third period game-winner to give Stars Game 7 win

Of course, the main event of the day was the Game 7 matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas was looking to avenge last season after they were eliminated in the third round last year by Vegas, while the Golden Knights were looking to continue to defend the Stanley Cup beyond Sunday.

The scoring was opened by someone who knows how to score in Game 7. After scoring the eventual game-winning goal for the Stars in last year’s second round series against the Seattle Kraken, Wyatt Johnston did it again in the first period of this Game 7. Jonathan Marchessault nearly scored for Vegas but hit the post, and the Stars went the other way for Johnston to snipe home a goal and make it 1-0.

But Vegas won a Stanley Cup for a reason, and responded in the second. Brett Howden, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson put together an excellent passing play while entering the offensive zone, resulting in Amadio setting up Howden in front to tie the game at 1-1.

Sometimes it’s the unlikeliest of heroes that step up in the big moments to help your team win, and the Stars got that in Radek Faksa just 44 seconds into the game. The Dallas center just threw the puck on net, and it found its way past Adin Hill to give the Stars the 2-1 lead.

what a backhand goal from Faksa pic.twitter.com/NcQygE8W0l

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 6, 2024

After that, the Stars did an excellent job of not sitting back and continuing to push the play back and forth, while also not allowing any dangerous chances in the process. Jake Oettinger was strong when they needed him, and the 2-1 score would hold for the final score, giving the Stars the win in the game and in the series. Oettinger made 21 saves on 22 shots in the winning effort.

The Stars advance past the first round for the second straight season, and will face the Colorado Avalanche for the first time since the 2020 playoff bubble, which was also a second round series. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup defense comes to an end with the loss, although it’s only the second time in the team’s history that they’ve made the playoffs and not made it to at least the Western Conference Final.