You won't need to be in the Dallas Stars' pregame dressing room Tuesday to know what coach Rick Bowness will tell his players about their pending game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
He will remind the Stars they control their own destiny when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs. If they beat the Golden Knights in regulation, they are in. Even if they lose to the Golden Knights, they can get into the playoffs by winning their last two games.
Not everyone predicted the Stars would be in the playoffs this season. To be in control at this stage is an accomplishment.
Contrast that to the pressure the Vegas Golden Knights must be feeling. DraftKing's Opening Stanley Cup odds this season had the Colorado Avalanche as the favorite at +500, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights at +600.
Expectations were high for the Golden Knights.
But the Golden Knights' season has been a messy drama start to finish. Even last weekend, Vegas coach Pete DeBoer told the media he expected goalie Robin Lehner to play after ESPN reported that Lehner was having shoulder surgery and would be gone for the season.
Then, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Lehner wanted to shut down his season because of criticism directed at him by DeBoer.
On Monday, the Golden Knights put out a statement that Lehner is gone for the season:
"Robin has done his best to battle through this injury," the Golden Knights said in the release. "We were hopeful that rest and rehab would allow him to complete the season.
"He initially rehabbed and was able to return to play March 1. At times rest and rehab were effective, but ultimately Robin, in consultation with team medical staff, determined that this is the best course of action."
Rookie Logan Thompson, who has done a good job in Lehner's absence, will be in net against the Stars.
The messiness began before the season when the Golden Knights decided to move Marc-Andre Fleury who was a fan base favorite. The team didn't handle his trade very gracefully.
The Jack Eichel acquisition made some sense, but the Golden Knights used the long-term injured reserve to make it work for salary cap purposes. That added to the messiness.
But none of that would have mattered if the Golden Knights would have played well. That didn't happen. They are the 13th ranked offensive team and the 14th ranked defensive team. Even before his injury, Lehner wasn't at the top of his game. The team's power play ranks 25th. With the team needing wins desperately over the past couple of weeks, they've won three out of eight games. They gave up 22 goals in those five losses. However, they did pick up a point in two of the losses.
The Golden Knights' just didn't come together this season. Their only hope if they lose in regulation to Dallas would be winning their last two games and hope Nashville doesn't get a single point. Nashville has a four-point lead with three games to go.
Amazingly, the Golden Knights' season isn't hopeless. It's not unreasonable to think they will beat Dallas. They have beaten the Stars twice this season. If they can beat Dallas in regulation, they will be one point with two games left to play.
A slip-up by the Stars could open the door for them because they have the tie-breaker. Maybe that's what DeBoer will say to his players tomorrow night.
What else could he say? If the Golden Knights don't make the playoffs, someone is likely to pay a price. And it's likely to be him.