The Dallas Stars are facing elimination on Monday night and are trying to force a Game 7 in their second round series against the St. Louis Blues.
It would have been almost impossible for them to have a better start.
They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead just five minutes into the first period thanks to a pair of beautiful goals just 20 seconds apart.
First, it was Mattias Janmark getting the Stars on the board when he beat Blues goalie Brian Elliott with an absolutely perfect shot off the rush. What really makes this play is the perfect pass from Valeri Nichushkin deep in his own zone to thread the needle, slide it through two Blues defenders, and hit Janmark right in stride for a partial breakaway.
He did not miss.
For Janmark, that his second goal of the playoffs.
Then, just 20 seconds later, veteran forward Vernon Fiddler, who is celebrating his 36th birthday on Monday, scored his first goal of the playoffs on a redirection from right in front.
The key play here, again, is the pass that sets the play up. This time it was Colton Sceviour spinning around with a defender all over him to get it in front to Fiddler who managed to deflect it in around Kevin Shattenkirk.
The Stars extended the lead to 3-0 later in the first period thanks to a Jason Spezza goal.
As we have seen all year with the Stars, including in the playoffs, getting the lead is not the problem for them. Holding on to it sometimes is, and that was nearly a problem again for the Stars on Monday after allowing the Blues to score a pair of goals and spend most of the game in their end of the ice. But Kari Lehtonen was able to make enough saves to help the Stars hold on and force a Game 7.
