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Marchessault: Golden Knights 'still in a good position' as Stars tighten series

Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault is keeping a levelheaded perspective after Vegas whiffed on its first two chances to eliminate the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

"Closing series, it's hard. But if you told me a few months ago that you would be up 3-2 playing a Game 6 in Dallas, I would take it any time," Marchessault said ahead of Monday's contest. "We're still in a good position. We're going to come out here and play one of our best road games."

Vegas went 26-7-8 on the road during the regular season - good for a sterling .732 point percentage - and is 5-2 away from home during these playoffs.

The Golden Knights won the first three games of the series to put Dallas in a deep hole, but the Stars took Games 4 and 5 to stave off elimination.

When asked if there's now more pressure on the Golden Knights in the series, Dallas head coach Peter DeBoer quipped, "How couldn't there be, right?"

Golden Knights bench boss Bruce Cassidy emphasized that his squad is unfazed by the sudden tightness of the matchup.

"I don't think our players are looking at pressure in any way, shape, or form," he said. "We're playing a game we love, we're in a very enviable position. ... We've got an opportunity to close out and get to the Stanley Cup Final. So, I think that's what our guys are focused on."

The Golden Knights have probability on their side.

Only four teams in NHL history have won a playoff series after trailing 3-0: The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

If the Stars take Monday's Game 6 in Dallas, Vegas will have to hand DeBoer the first Game 7 loss of his career to advance to the final round.

Marchessault has led the way for the Golden Knights in the conference finals with six points (three goals, three assists) through five games.

The puck drops on Game 6 at 8 p.m. ET in Dallas.

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