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- The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights meet in the NHL Western Conference Finals.
- Dallas and Vegas played in the 2020 NHL Western Conference Finals.
- The Stars eliminated the Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Western Conference Finals but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 2023 NHL Western Conference Playoff Finals are set, with the Dallas Stars meeting the Vegas Golden Knights in that series. Dallas fell just shy of winning the Western Conference’s Central Division in 2023. The Stars finished the 2023 NHL regular season with a 47-21-14 record, which put them one point behind the division-winning Colorado Avalanche. Vegas had a bounce-back year in 2023. The club finished the 2022 season with a 43-31-8 record. Vegas was the best team in the Western Conference this year, with a 51-22-9 record and 111 points.
Dallas made it to the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals by eliminating the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. The Stars followed that by triumphing over the Seattle Kraken in seven games. Meanwhile, Vegas got past the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round of the 2023 postseason. Then, in the Western Conference semifinals, the Golden Knights eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in six games.
The 2023 NHL playoff series between the Stars and Golden Knights is a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Finals, which the Stars won in five games. Dallas’ current coach, Peter DeBoer, was Vegas’ coach that year.
Before we look at the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals series between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights, check out the best bets for the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference Finals and our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights betting picks for NHL Western Conference Finals Series
| To Win 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals |  |  |  |  |
| Dallas Stars | +117 | +110 | +120 | +120 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -137 | -130 | -140 | -140 |
Dallas Stars betting breakdown
One of the stories heading into the 2023 Western Conference Finals is that the Vegas Golden Knights fired Peter DeBoer after he failed to lead the team to the NHL playoffs in 2022. Not long after the Golden Knights let him go, the Stars hired DeBoer. Now, the former Vegas coach faces the team that let him go in the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals.
The Stars’ Jason Robertson had a breakout year for the team in 2023. The 23-year-old played in all 82 games and set career highs in points (109), goals (46) and assists (63). Robertson led the Stars in each of those stats for the year. However, Robertson is not leading the Stars in playoff scoring. Instead, Roope Hintz, who had 75 points during the regular season, is the team leader in points (19) and goals (9). Robertson is second in scoring with seven playoff points (2 goals, 10 assists). He had zero goals in the Seattle series. The Stars have received a boost in offense from Joe Pavelski. In the eight playoff games he has played, Pavelski has picked up eight goals and two assists.
Jake Oettinger had been one of the best goaltenders during the 2023 NHL playoffs. He entered the Seattle series as one of the top three in the league in both goals against average (2.01) and save percentage (.929). His numbers now stand at 2.75 (GAA) and .903 (SP).
Dallas has the best power play percentage of teams in the 2023 Conference Finals, connecting at 31.7 percent. The team’s penalty kill is a robust 83.3 percent.
Vegas Golden Knights betting breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights hoped that Jack Eichel would help them when it mattered most, and Eichel is hot heading into the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals. Eichel had nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games against the Edmonton Oilers. In the first-round series against the Jet, he had five points (three goals, two assists) in five games. Eichel is the player to keep an eye on from an offensive standpoint for the Golden Knights.
In the 2023 NHL regular season, Eichel led the Golden Knights in scoring with 66 points in 67 games. The team’s leading goal-scorer was Jonathan Marchessault, with 28 goals, and Chandler Stephenson had the most assists on the team, with 49. Eichel leads the team in playoff scoring, but Mark Stone is not far behind him with 12 points (five goals, seven assists). Marchessault and Stephenson each have 10 points.
Goaltending might be a concern for Vegas in the Western Conference Finals. The team lost Laurent Brossoit to a lower-body injury during the Oilers series, and he has yet to resume skating. As a result, Adin Hill is likely to be the starter for Vegas against Dallas. Hill is 3-1 with a 2.19 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in the five games he’s played in the 2023 postseason.
Vegas has the lowest power play percentage among Conference Final teams in 2023 at 17.5 percent. The team’s penalty kill has also struggled at 60 percent.
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights Western Conference Finals schedule
- Fri., May 19: Stars at Golden Knights, 8:30 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Sun., May 21: Stars at Golden Knights, 3 p.m.; ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Tue., May 23: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Thu., May 25: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Sat., May 27: Stars at Golden Knights, 8 p.m.; ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Mon., May 29: Golden Knights at Stars, 8 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- *Wed., May 31: Stars at Golden Knights, 9 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
* = If necessary
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights regular season
The Stars and Golden Knights played three times during the 2023 NHL regular season. Dallas won all those games, but two of the contests went into overtime. Dallas scored seven goals in those three outings, while Vegas had three markers. The shots per game were 34.7 for Dallas and 30.0 for Vegas. Neither team connected on the power play during the series.
Best bets for the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights playoff series
Defense will be a significant factor in this series. Luckily for the Golden Knights, they have a lot of big bodies to put in front of backup goaltender Hill. However, Dallas has shown that it can win games even when its best offensive players are struggling to find the net. I am surprised to see Dallas as the underdog in this series, and I feel they not only present value, but they are the better and deeper club heading into the 2023 NHL Western Conference Finals. The best bet in this series to pick the Dallas Stars to win in six or seven games.
2023 NHL Western Conference Finals betting pick: Dallas Stars to beat Vegas Golden Knights in seven games.
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