The Dallas Stars fourth line started the game, and they set the tone with an aggressive forecheck. Payoff came early when Jacob Holmes picked a short side corner on a snap shot while cruising down from the point at 1:17.
The team earned two power plays, and although they didn’t pay off, it was indicative of how Dallas took the initiative. The Stars were able to set up the cycle when they had possession and their forecheck led to quite a few St. Louis Blues dumps. Coming up ice, Dallas had great north-south speed, using cross-ice passes to create space.