Stars preparing for massive boost ahead of Game 2 vs. Avalanche

The Dallas Stars might’ve eliminated the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but scoring goals has been an issue so far in the postseason.

That being said, the Stars are getting a major boost, with forward Mason Marchment set for a return in Game 2 against the Colorado Avalanche after missing six games due to an injury that happened in the conference quarterfinals vs Vegas.

This is what Stars head coach Peter DeBoer had to say about getting Marchment back, who is a key piece of their offense.

Via Dallas News:

“Twenty-plus goals, he’s a big body, he’s got a good skill level,” DeBoer said of Marchment. “He’s played well with [Matt] Duchene and [Tyler] Seguin all year, so we’ve missed him in the lineup in a bunch of different areas.”

Marchment had a really nice 2023-24 campaign for the Stars, netting 22 goals and tallying 31 assists. He ranked eighth on the roster in points with 53.

Stars need offensive spark

Dallas overcame a 0-2 deficit in round one and eventually took down the Golden Knights in seven games, ending their pursuit of another Cup. But, overall in the playoffs, they’re only averaging 2.38 goals per contest compared to 3.59 in the regular season. That ranked third in the entire NHL.

Yes, the Stars are only allowing 2.50 goals per night in these playoffs, but they need to step it up on the other end. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, two of their best players, have barely contributed so far. Pavelski has a mere one point after putting up 67 in the season. Matt Duchene also isn’t doing much.

Game 1 against the Avs saw Dallas take an early 3-0 lead in the first period before collapsing and allowing Colorado to claw their way back, eventually winning in overtime. A pair of penalties in the second proved to be costly, with the Avalanche scoring both times with an extra man.

Was it fatigue? Maybe. The Stars took care of Vegas on Sunday before the series opener on Tuesday. It was a very quick turnaround. DeBoer knew that, but he wants to see more consistency from his squad on both ends of the ice.

“It’s a tough turnaround for us as a group,” DeBoer said after the game. “I thought we had a great start. I thought the fatigue from the Game 7 hit us in the second half of that game. I thought our group rallied though and really made a push in overtime, had some opportunities in overtime.”

“We had the lead, went into the second period, turned the puck in the neutral zone, which led to a penalty,” the Stars coach said. “We took another penalty 200 feet from our end. And you know, they’re a quick-strike team. You can’t make mistakes in those situations. Tough lesson to learn in Game 1, but glad you’re not learning it in Game 6 or 7 in an elimination game. We’ve got to be smarter than that. They’ve got that quick-strike ability that you have to be mentally sharp for 60 minutes in order to beat them.’’

The Stars are back in action in Game 2 on Thursday night. Hopefully, Marchment can make his presence felt and provide a spark.