The Stars push the Predators to the brink of elimination with a 5-3 win

The young Dallas Stars have blossomed during the off-season and their best players, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, show just how damaging they can be together.

This combination allowed the West to win its first card of choice before reaching the second round.

Radulov scored two goals in the second period and the Stars beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Saturday to push the No. 2 seeded Western Conference to the brink of elimination.

The Stars are now leading this 3-2 series over the two defending Central Division champions. Dallas will have a chance Monday night at home in the sixth game to join Colorado and Columbus as the last bottom seed entering the first round.

"I think we continue to improve and we need to continue to improve," said Dallas coach Jim Montgomery. "The next is the hardest because it is the potential to end the season of someone, that is the challenge now."

Jason Dickinson also scored twice, Seguin scored one goal and one assist, and Benn tied the NHL playoff record for the most passes in one period with three in the second. The Stars have also scored at least five goals in consecutive playoff games for the ninth time in the history of the franchise, the first since the third and fourth games of the 1991 conference finals, while this team was again in Minnesota.

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Ben Bishop, finalist of the Vézina Trophy during the game, made 30 saves to win.

"It's a great honor," said Bishop about his candidacy. "Even though it's an individual award, it's a team affair – the guys have done a great job in front of me all season."

Rocco Grimaldi, Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris scored for Nashville. The Predators have lost two consecutive playoff games for the first time since games 5 and 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup final. Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said his Predators had already been in those situations before.

"They answered the call," Laviolette said. "They will answer the ring in the sixth game and we will bring it back here."

Laviolette has found striker Brian Boyle after missing the last three games due to an appendectomy and confused his lines. Nashville has struggled too much with botched games, including 19 gifts.

Thanks to Dallas for charging the Predators for these mistakes. Seguin, Benn and Radulov took 16 of the Stars' 26 shots, and the trio were responsible for all three goals scored in the second. Montgomery said Benn was hitting his stick to have more ice time for the line, and Seguin said this line is a matter of work and will.

"Obviously, we have the skills and talent there," Seguin said. "When we work hard, we're happy to play against anyone, it's a good team, they got a good push tonight, I think the goalkeeper has always played very well, especially early in the game. difficult game to try to win on the ice at home. "

Grimaldi was the most surprising striker of Nashville in this series, and he gave them a 1-0 lead at 6:25 with a glove around Bishop's glove. Then, 70 seconds later, Rinne made two dazzling backups by stopping a Radulov backhander with the left leg, then Benn's shot with the left.

Dickinson tied the game in Dallas at 13:08 of the first goal, beating Rinne with a wrestler for his first playoff goal.

The Stars took control in the second.

The Predators did not manage to clear the puck after taking a faceoff and Seguin gave way to Radulov who scored his third goal of the series in an open net with Rinne at the far post just 40 seconds after the start of the second period for a 2-1 lead. Radulov gave Dallas a 3-1 lead with a slot goal on a Benn pass at 7:41, the Stars being fully in control. Benn defeated Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis in the puck to move to Radulov.

"It's a race for the puck and you want to do everything in your power to get that puck," Benn said. "I heard these guys calling behind me well before having the puck because they still want the puck." I just found a way to get her to Rads and he has made a great shot. "

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Johansen scored his first playoff goal at 9:18 of a Filip Forsberg pass. Dallas just took a 4-2 lead as the Stars caught Nashville during a line-up and Benn went to Seguin in the slot that slid the puck under Rinne's left cushion at 15:54 .

Rinne said the Predators need to get better.

"It's not enough," says Rinne.

Dickinson raised the score to 5-2 with a hit from the high slot of another Nashville roll at 1:57 of the third. Turris was credited with a goal at 2:25 when the puck was removed from the skate of Stars defender Miro Heiskanen.

NOTES: Nashville has entered the playoffs among the three teams to qualify for the second round each of the last three seasons with Washington and Pittsburgh, and the Penguins were swept in the first round. … Radulov recorded his second performance of several goals in the playoffs. His last match was in the first game of the 2007 conference quarter-finals with Nashville. … John Carlson, of Washington, also had three assists in one period in Carolina's first game in the playoffs. Grimaldi has only five goals in 53 regular season games.