Stars at Blues Live
Blues Clues
The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues meet at Enterprise Center on Thursday night for Game 1 of the 2019 Western Conference Second Round. The Stars face the Blues for the 14th time in postseason, which is the most played opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for both clubs. The franchise holds an all-time 6-7 mark in playoff series vs. St. Louis, most recently losing to the Blues in seven games during the 2016 Western Conference Second Round. Since moving to Dallas, the two clubs have met four times (W 1994, W 1999, L 2001, L 2016). The Stars hold a 2-2 series record against the Blues over that span, and boast a 6-5 home mark and 5-5 road mark since relocating to the Lone Star State. During the 2018-19 regular-season vs. St. Louis, the Stars posted a 3-1-0 record with a 1-1-0 record at American Airlines Center and a 2-0-0 record at Enterprise Center. In four games, defenseman John Klingberg led the Stars with seven points (2-5=7). On special teams, the Stars were 2-for-8 (25%) on the power play and 9-of-11 (81.8%) on the penalty kill. Goaltender Ben Bishop posted a 2-1-0 record in three games, registering a 1.69 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. Goaltender Anton Khudobin earned a 1-0-0 mark in his only appearance against the Blues and recorded a 2.00 GAA and a .956 SV%.
DALLAS -- The St. Louis Blues have already defeated the Dallas Stars twice this season, winning both times at Scottrade Center. DALLAS -- The St. Louis Blues have already defeated the Dallas Stars ...
The full Monty
With the club's First Round series victory against the Nashville Predators, Stars head coach Jim Montgomery becomes the second head coach in Dallas Stars history with no previous head coaching experience to win his first-ever playoff series, joining Dave Tippett (2003). Montgomery is now the seventh coach in franchise history to accomplish this feat (others: Tippett, Bob Gainey, Bill Mahoney, Murray Oliver, Jackie Gordon and Wren Blair). He is the first head coach with no previous head coaching experience to win his first-ever playoff series since Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals in 2012. During the 2018-19 regular season, Montgomery became the third coach in Dallas Stars history (1993-present) to make the postseason in his first full season as head coach, along with Tippett (2003) and Ken Hitchcock (1997). The native of Montreal, Que. also joined Washington's Todd Reirden and Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour as first year head coaches to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2018-19 campaign. Additionally, he is the first NHL head coach since Philadelphia's Dave Hakstol in 2015-16 to make the postseason in his first year as an NHL head coach after spending the previous season coaching in college hockey.
The once and future Kling
Defenseman John Klingberg recorded the overtime goal (1-0=1), his second career postseason goal, to clinch the First Round series victory against Nashville on Monday night. Klingberg became the third defenseman in franchise history to record a postseason overtime goal, joining Paul Cavallini (Game 3 of the 1994 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. St. Louis, W, 5-4) and Mattias Norstrom (Game 3 of the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals vs. San Jose, W, 2-1). Klingberg's goal against the Predators was exactly 25 years to the day of Cavallini's goal, which occurred on April 22, 1994. He posted the first overtime playoff goal on home ice for the club since Brenden Morrow potted the series-clinching goal during the fourth overtime period in Game 6 of the 2008 Western Conference Semifinals vs. San Jose (W, 2-1 4OT). The native of Gothenburg, Sweden inked the scoresheet in four of his six contests during the First Round, registering six points (1-5=6) with a +5 plus/minus rating. Among League defensemen in the postseason, he shares second in plus/minus rating (+5), fourth in points (6), sixth in assists (5) and goals (1). He is one of nine players, and one of only two defensemen (other: Washington's Brook Orpik) to record an overtime goal in the 2019 postseason. Klingberg has skated in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff games and has recorded 10 points (2-8=10).
Bish better have my money
Goaltender Ben Bishop turned aside a postseason career-high 47 shots on a postseason career-high 48 shots against on Monday night to help the Stars clinch their first playoff series victory since the 2016 Western Conference First Round against the Minnesota Wild. In the history of the Stars franchise (1967-present) during a postseason game, Bishop's 47 saves were the seventh-most ever recorded and his 48 shots against were tied for sixth-most ever faced by a goaltender. Since Game 7 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, Bishop is a perfect 4-0 in series-clinching games. In those contests, the netminder has earned a 0.23 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and three shutouts. During the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bishop has posted a 4-2 record with a 1.90 GAA and a .945 SV%. Among postseason goaltender leaders, he ranks second in SV% (.945) and shares second in GAA (1.90). The Vezina Trophy finalist has appeared in 42 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests with a 25-15 record with 2.06 GAA, a .930 SV% and five shutouts
