How Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer just boosted the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup chances for next season

In Game 5 on Thursday night, the Stars gave up three goals in the first period, which would eventually lead to Dallas being eliminated in the Western Conference Final for a second consecutive season by the Oilers.

Graham Tiedtke from Mile High Sticking writes that the real blow came from the timing of Edmonton's goals. All three Oilers goals were scored within roughly eight minutes of the game's start.

This was particularly surprising considerings the Stars have a dependable goaltender in Jake Oettinger. After falling behind 2-0 in under eight minutes, DeBoer made the unexpected call to pull Oettinger in favor of Casey DeSmith. The move stunned Stars fans and even sparked speculations about DeBoer's job security in the aftermath.

Tiedtke also writes that Colorado needs to capitalize on what could turn into a rocky offseason, and possibly an inconsistent 2025-26 campaign, for the Stars. The key will be figuring out which players they can realistically sign to stay competitive. If a first-round matchup with Dallas happens again next season, the Avalanche will need to deliver a much stronger performance than they did this year.

Another playoff elimination at the hands of the Stars would be a devastating blow, particularly if Colorado believes, as they should, that they're built to go deeper in the postseason than Dallas.

Source:
Mile High Sticking
Pete DeBoer may have just helped the Colorado Avalanche's future