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The Dallas Stars are looking more and more confident as the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs go along — and no one more so than Wyatt Johnston. The sophomore forward scored another two goals on Monday night as the Stars crushed the shorthanded Colorado Avalanche 5-1 to take a 3-1 stranglehold in their Western Conference second-round series.
Johnston is in the midst of a true breakout postseason; he’s now up to seven goals and 11 points in 11 games, good for second in team scoring. The young Canadian also happens to be turning 21 years old on Tuesday.
And Pete DeBoer can’t say enough about how important the birthday boy has been to this club in 2024.
“Johnston came out possessed tonight,” the bench boss admitted afterwards, per ESPN. “He was all over the rink. Just fantastic, fantastic young hockey player that’s going to be a cornerstone.”
The former Windsor Spitfires forward is already looking like a cornerstone; he gave the Stars a 1-0 lead while shorthanded in the first period, and added his second on the powerplay later in the frame.
KNOCK KNOCK, GUESS WHO, WYATT JOHNSTON'S GOT TWO 2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/EZJvjGbPov
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 14, 2024
“It’s been a crazy, crazy couple of years,” Johnston said after the commanding victory, per ESPN. “I’m just really thankful and just so happy to have met some amazing people on the way and just have a chance to be with the Stars.”
Johnston has been a difference-maker so far, and is looking like a legitimate Conn Smythe frontrunner through 11 games. His two goals were all that Dallas would need against a Colorado team that was reeling from the loss of Valeri Nichushkin (to suspension) and Devon Toews (to illness) shortly before Game 4.
Although Casey Mittelstadt cut into a 3-0 lead midway through the second, that’s as close as the Avs would get. And with that, the Stars will have a chance to eliminate their Central Division rivals at home on Wednesday night.
Stars have Avalanche on brink as Central Division crown beckons
The Stars have been fantastic on the road this postseason; they’ve lost just once away from the American Airlines Center.
“We talked about [how] we’d been the best road team all year because regardless of the building or the lineup for the other team, who’s in, who’s out, we approach the game the same way,” DeBoer said, per ESPN, “and [we] took care of business.”
“We’ve played a lot of good hockey and put ourselves in some good positions,” echoed captain Joe Pavelski, who continues to chase a yet-elusive Stanley Cup. “It’s just a commitment to doing it the right way. That’s number one for us.”
Dallas have been road warriors throughout 2023-24, there’s no doubt about that. But on Wednesday night, the team will have a chance to advance to their second straight Western Conference Final in front of the home crowd.
And Johnston figures to again be a big part of Game 5 as his postseason surge continues. On Monday, he became the eighth player in NHL history to reach double-digit postseason goals at age 20 or younger, per NHL Public Relations.
It’s been a phenomenal run for Johnston and the Stars, who were once down 2-0 to the defending champions but have gone 7-2 since — eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights and now with three opportunities to do the same to the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Avalanche.
Puck drop from American Airlines Center is set for just past 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
More must-reads:
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