Stars HC Still Figuring Out Hardest Challenge

The Dallas Stars earned a huge Game 2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. After the Avs stymied the Stars' comeback efforts in the opening contest, Colorado had the opportunity to take a commanding series lead. Instead, the Stars stormed back to tie and win the game in overtime.

The Stars' victory is a credit to the team's head coach, Peter DeBoer. He did an excellent job of utilizing advantages like having last line change to favorably match up against the Avalanche's best lines. Avs superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each recorded a point in Game 2, but it was limited damage compared to their Game 1 production.

DeBoer pushed every correct button and pulled the exact right strings in Game 2, and it salvaged the series for his team. But amidst a huge coaching achievement, the Dallas HC is still struggling to solve the most difficult challenge within his lineup - getting Mikko Rantanen going.

The Stars threw caution to the wind when they acquired Rantanen. They sent out multiple high-value assets and signed him to a massive extension. It wasn't the usual business approach for Dallas, but it was a move championship teams make.

Through 20 regular season and two postseason games, Rantanen and the Stars haven't meshed as seamlessly as the organization hoped. Sure, he recorded 18 points in 20 games after his arrival, but there hasn't been a point or game where Rantanen has emerged as the superstar he's supposed to be.

In two postseason contests, that problem has only been exacerbated. He's a -3 through the first two games, has six shots on goal, and zero points. DeBoer has tried a few different options and combinations, but Rantanen's offensive game has gone flat at the worst possible times.

That's why DeBoer is still in the middle of his biggest challenge. He rallied his lineup for an incredible comeback victory in Game 2, getting production out of players like Colin Blackwell, Evgenii Dadonov, and Tyler Seguin.

His masterclass means nothing if Rantanen doesn't get going, because there won't be any games to play. The Avalanche are equally adept at adapting and changing their approach, which means Game 3 will be another battle. In response, the Stars need Rantanen to start scoring. Unless DeBoer can pull the right strings to get him going, this fantastic coaching effort will be futile as the Stars' season ends in the first round.