These under-the-radar players could decide the Western Conference finals

Now that the Western Conference finals between the dallas stars and Las Vegas Golden Knights finally arrived (Game 1, 8:30 pm ET on ESPN/ESPN+), there’s a good chance you’ll hear some familiar names.

Is it a conversation about the stars? expect to hear a lot about jamie benn, miro heiskanen, roope hintz, jake oettinger, joe pavelski and jason robertson. When the discussion turns to the Golden Knights, the players like jack eichel, william karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Alex Pietrangelo, chandler stephenson and shea theodore it will be hard to ignore.

It can also be argued that Ivan Barbashev, Max Domi, wyatt johnston, Tyler Seguin, reilly smith and whoever starts in goal for the Golden Knights will receive similar treatment.

But what about those low-key players who could play key roles in which the winner gets a trip to the Stanley Cup Final and the loser starts summer vacation? Here’s a look at players from the Golden Knights and Stars who may not be among the first names mentioned, but their contributions could be crucial to the success of their respective teams.

Evgenii DadonovF

Going into the trade deadline, just over 66% of the Stars’ goals came from six players. That was what led them to switch to Domi and Dadonov. The fact that Domi scored 18 goals and added 49 points in 60 games with the Chicago Blackhawks made him the center of attention against Dadonov, who had four goals and 18 points in 50 games with the Montreal Canadians. Dadonov had three goals and 12 assists after arriving in Dallas, giving him 15 points in 23 games. In the postseason, his four goals and nine points in 13 games have given the Stars the depth they were looking for. Five of those points came in the second round, including his assist on Johnston’s game-winner in Game 7.

Then there’s the fact that Dadonov, along with Benn and Johnston, have posted the most 5-on-5 ice time of any Stars line combination in the postseason, according to Natural Stat Trick. They have played nearly 132 minutes together, which is 45 more minutes than the Hintz-Seguin-Robertson line has ever seen in a 5-on-5 game. An unrestricted free agent pending, Dadonov is making a strong case for the Stars to move him. re-sign or why another team might seek their services. Especially if he can build on his success in the conference finals against one of his former employees.

thomas harleyD.

Writing and development local talent is at the heart of the Stars’ success, and it’s another reason why Harley’s performances matter. Just look at what he did in the second round series win against the seattle kraken. Harley went from scoring zero points in the first round against the wild minnesota to seven points in as many games against the Kraken. His strongest performance came in Game 4 when he finished with a goal and an assist in the Stars’ 6-3 win to tie the series before returning to Dallas.

His seven points are the second most of any Stars defense and only two behind Heiskanen. All of his points have come in a 5v5 game with Harley as the third matchup option. The production of him gives the Stars another layer and shows why they weren’t willing to part with him or any of his prospects before the trade deadline. The internal belief within the Stars’ front office is that they knew Harley could help them at some point in the playoffs. And how far? He is doing just that.

That LindellD.

A Finnish player who has success with the stars? Who knows? Lindell may only have two points, but he’s averaging over 21 minutes per game, which ranks third among Stars defensemen this postseason. He is operating in a second pairing role alongside his partner Finn. Jani Hakanpaawho could also make a case for being one of those under-the-radar players who could make an impact in the conference finals.

Several factors have led the stars to four Stanley Cup Final victories. His death sentence is one of those reasons. He is the third shortest-manned unit in the postseason with an 83.3 success rate. Lindell leads them in short ice time, with Hakanpää 20 seconds behind, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Nicholas Haya and Zach CloudwhiteD.

Everyone else gets a separate mention, so why not Hague and Whitecloud? Simple. Because they’ve done just about everything else together this postseason in a way most might have missed. The big one? Guess which defensive pairing has recorded the most 5-on-5 ice time for the Golden Knights this postseason? Yes, They are. In fact, Natural Stat Trick ranks them 10th among all defensive matchups in 5v5 ice time. Pietrangelo’s suspension played a role in why he and alec martinez don’t lead the team. Although, there is another statistic that reinforces the value of their partnership. Opponents have only scored three times in 5v5 games when Hague and Whitecloud have played together. That is tied with carolina hurricanes duo brent burns and jacob slav for fewest goals allowed this postseason among tag teams with at least 150 minutes of 5v5 ice time. It’s another reason Hague leads them in 5v5 ice time while Whitecloud is third.

brett howdenF

stephenson has emerged as one of the NHL’s top No. 2 centers while Stone, when healthy, is a trouble-making two-way winger. Together, they have created one of the most versatile combinations in the league. Howden is the third member of that group, and he has used these playoffs to justify his role as a top-nine winger. They played more than 67 minutes together in 5-on-5 ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick. But that also comes with the caveat that Stone was limited to 43 games after undergoing a second back surgery in less than a year. In the playoffs? Cassidy has used the Howden-Stephenson-Stone line more than any other combination, with the trio playing nearly 95 minutes together in 5v5 situations.

Howden has five points in 11 games, a solid return for a player who had 13 total points in 54 regular-season games. Howden was also part of the Golden Knights’ penalty kick, a role he has retained with the sixth-most minutes with fewer players among Golden Knights forwards this postseason.

Nicholas RoyF

Coaches are always making adjustments in an attempt to find an advantage. Cassidy is no different, and that’s why of the eight best combinations he’s used in the playoffs, Roy has been a part of three of them. Roy, who largely played in the bottom six this year, was part of 12 players who finished with 10+ goals in the regular season.

A bottom-six forward with consecutive 14+ goal seasons shows why the Golden Knights are among the deepest teams in the NHL. When they use Roy in the center, he gives them a backbone in the middle that starts with Eichel, Stephenson, and Karlsson before ending with him. As they push him onto the wing, he provides them with a third-string combination that also features Karlsson and Smith. Together, the three present the Golden Knights with a two-way line that can control, force turnovers and create scoring opportunities in the other direction. Possessing that kind of versatility is also how Roy has worked his way up to receiving minutes on penalties and power plays.