Against the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars threw their reliable checking line up against Nathan MacKinnon and company. Winning that battle wasn’t really on the table, but by mitigating the damage, the Stars were able to use their depth to take advantage of the remainder of the Avalanche lineup.
In the Stanley Cup Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning top line is just as lethal, but the Stars find themselves without the core of their top checking line. Turns out, one of the keys to the Dallas system is an ability to put a damper on the opposing top scoring line.