There could have been panic. There could have been nerves. There was also plenty of room to potentially self-destruct under the pressure. But none of that affected the Dallas Stars.
Instead, they went into Bridgestone Arena and won their first playoff game in nearly three years. They knocked off the Nashville Predators 3-2 and secured the first win of their opening round series against the Central division champions.
And before we go into the game, let’s put this fact out there: this could very well be a series-altering win.
As the puck dropped on game one, there was really no telling how things might pan out.