Stars quickly go from tight series over reigning Cup champ to big

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars got one day off between their Game 7 victory over last year’s Stanley Cup champion, and the start of what could be a drastically different second round in the Western Conference playoffs against well-rested 2022 champ Colorado.

Coach Pete DeBoer and the top-seeded Stars won a tight series against Vegas when each team scored 16 goals. They now face the Avalanche, who by time the puck drops for Game 1 on Tuesday night will have gone a full week since wrapping up their opening round with 28 goals in five games against one of the league’s top defensive teams.

“We’re going to have to work ourselves into the series to see how we’re going to have to win,” DeBoer said Monday. “My initial reaction, just watching what they did to Winnipeg, is I don’t think we want to get in a track meet. ... At the same time, we’re not going to sit and try to defend in the entire series. I think we’ve got other layers to our game.”