"The way we prepare for a game 7 is the same way we prepare for a game 1," said DeBoer. "There's no magic."

Luckily for Dallas, however, reinforcements are on the way to face the Winnipeg Jets in the form of the expected returns by two of its top stars — forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Both skated with the team as the Stars practiced Tuesday before heading to Winnipeg for Game 1.

However good Rantanen and the rest of the team were, the true first star of the series should be head coach Pete DeBoer. Heading into Saturday night’s contest, the Stars' coach was 8-0 in Game 7s, tied for the most Game 7 wins ever for an NHL player or coach.