The Dallas Stars believe they are ready for a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, they need to get through a familiar foe if they want to accomplish that. Pete DeBoer and his team are in for another postseason clash with the Vegas Golden Knights beginning on Monday night.

The two teams have met twice in the postseason. In fact, they were the two Western Conference Finalists in 2023. Vegas defeated the Stars in six games en route to winning the Stanley Cup. This season, the Golden Knights fell to the second wild card spot while Dallas claimed the West's top seed. But the Dallas bench boss acknowledged a potentially key difference.

“The difference is, they haven’t had had their team, right?” DeBoer said, via NHL.com. “So, it’s hard to look at their recent results and say, ‘This is what you’re getting.’ I can only speak for our group.”

Golden Knights need chemistry against Dallas

Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer watches from the team bench during the first period of the game between the Dallas Stars and the Winnipeg Jets at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden Knights look likely to have a fully healthy and complete team against the Stars for Game 1. To his credit, Pete DeBoer is not shying away from the challenge. “I think we all know who’s in the lineup, don’t we?” DeBoer said with a laugh, via NHL.com. “I’m assuming they’re all in. I think that’s the assumption. Good. Let’s go. Drop the puck.”

Vegas will certainly make life hard on Dallas on Monday night. However, that game will also be a learning curve for them. It will mark the first time in a while that the defending Stanley Cup champions have all of their guys on the ice at the same time. Injuries to Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, William Carrier, and Chandler Stephenson saw them miss time during the regular season.

As a result, they have not skated with the team's newest members. Vegas used the cap space freed up by long-term injured reserve to bolster the roster at the NHL Trade Deadline. The Golden Knights acquired forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as defenseman Noah Hanifin in early March.

The Golden Knights are hoping for an important Game 1 victory in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But, as DeBoer mentioned, they have chemistry on their side. Something that Vegas will need to figure out in quick order in this series.

Stars are ready for Vegas

Dallas understands that this series will not be easy. In fact, this matchup may have been one of the worst-case scenarios heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the team is ready for the series to get underway nonetheless.

“We’ve had our group together. They’ve been on the ice together. They’ve played together down the stretch. We’ve been playing some great hockey. I’m excited about how we translate that to the playoffs,” Pete DeBoer said, via NHL.com.

“[The Golden Knights are] a dangerous team,” Stars forward Matt Duchene said, via NHL.com. “They’re a team that’s going to have almost a brand-new roster coming into playoffs, so hopefully they’re not quite clicking. But at the same time, even if they are, we’re going to be ready for their best. I know they’re ready for us.”

The Stars and Golden Knights drop the puck at 9:30 Eastern Time on Monday night. It could turn out to be one of the best matchups of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will certainly be a matchup for fans to keep an eye on as one of these teams could represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.