What do the Dallas Stars need to fix to get back in this series?

Joe Pavelski had one of the best games of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs in game one, but it still wasn’t enough for the Stars to come through with a win. Poor defense and a strange first period in net from Jake Oettinger led to a large uphill battle to win the game. So that begs the question, what do the Dallas Stars need to fix to get back in this series?

The first period of game one was an absolute doozy to watch. It was the magic of Pavelski scoring two quick goals, and the crazy let down of watching the Kraken score four goals, three of which happened in less than a minute of game time. The Stars even dominated the last few minutes of the third period, and almost the entire 12 minutes of overtime. It was a strange game, and one that the guys in the locker room should be able to shake off.

Game two of this series is going to be pivotal for Dallas. They’ve essentially given up home ice advantage in the game one loss, and should be doing everything in their power to not head to Seattle down 0-2. There are a few things that I think will happen Thursday night in the AAC, and if they do, it should be a dominating performance for a game two win.

Jason Robertson steps up with multiple points and an even strength goal.

The Minnesota Wild had a strong defense, and made it a point to shut down Jason Robertson in round one. It seems like the Kraken are trying to do the same thing, but it’s only a matter of time before Robo gets going again on the score sheet.

Robertson hasn’t been necessarily missing, he has seven points in seven games. A point per game player is something you typically love to see, but with Robertson’s regular season performance, Stars fans are expecting more.

In game two I have a feeling that Robertson is going to get going early, and he will be relentless throughout the game scoring multiple points with one of them being an even strength goal. Once he gets going, the rest of the offense can play the way they are used to, and goals should be flying around all over the score sheet.

Jake Oettinger will bounce back and be lights out in net.

Otter seemed off in the first period of game one, and it was costly for the Stars. Yes, the Kraken played fast and furious, and got the tips in front of the net to throw Oettinger off his game. Credit to Seattle, they did their homework and got to Otter early and often.

I can’t remember exactly what Oettinger’s statline is after a loss, but it’s somewhere in the region of 20 wins and only two losses. The guy turns into a brick wall after a loss, and Stars fans should expect that to happen again Thursday night. I’d expect only one goal allowed from Otter, and a handful of miraculous saves that we’re used to seeing from him.

If Robo and Otter do something along the lines of what I’m predicting, then I’d guess that the defense played significantly better and the rest of the offense got to cooking. What do the Dallas Stars need to fix to get back in this series? A better performance from Otter, and significant changes on the defensive end should do it, but adding major Robo points will be the cherry on top.