Jaccob Slavin excels as Carolina Hurricanes hold off elimination, Dallas Stars battle serious offense crisis
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Out west, the Edmonton Oilers are one victory away from reaching the Western Conference Final, as the Dallas Stars can't catch any kind of offensive rhythm in their semifinal series.
Jaccob Slavin anchors Carolina Hurricanes' defense in clutch win over Florida Panthers
Defenseman Jaccob Slavin ensured Carolina Hurricanes were not out yet. Slavin was the driving force behind his team's Game 4 win over the Florida Panthers, posting a 4.03 Game Score — the highest of all skaters — with no points on the board.
Rather, he set the tempo with exceptional positioning, stickhandling, and penalty-killing.
Slavin logged close to 28 minutes in all situations, assisting Carolina in limiting the Florida Panthers to a mere 12 shot attempts and no goals in his five-on-five time on ice. He didn't front the team in minutes in games one through three of the series — a curious choice — but Game 4 was different. His defensive dependability provided Carolina with an as-needed lifeline in the series, even if history isn't on their side: no team has ever rebounded from a 3-0 deficit in a conference final.
After a bumpy playoff start, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner now has given up one or fewer goals in five of his last six games. His 33-save effort in Game 4 — including 2.29 expected goals saved during the first period alone — held the fort in a close game that ultimately became a 4-1 victory with two late empty-netters.
While the Oilers are on the rise, the Dallas Stars are falling. Their offense has imploded since the opening game, managing to score just two goals over the last three games.
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Dallas is now creating only 1.65 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five in the playoffs — second-worst among all postseason teams.
Star players such as Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Jason Robertson have fallen silent at the most inopportune moment. During Game 4, the trio mustered only five shot attempts between them in 11 minutes, being dominated in possession and expected goals.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have purchased some time, courtesy of Jaccob Slavin's wizardry on the blue line. But turning the tide against a Florida Panthers club with championship bloodlines is a tall task. In the West, the Edmonton Oilers are displaying resilience and balance, pinning the Dallas Stars on the edge of extinction. Unless the Stars find their offense again, an Edmonton-Florida Stanley Cup Final rematch may become a reality in a hurry.
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