DeBoer: Harley would have to be NHL MVP of 2nd half
Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer praised defenseman Thomas Harley after his Game 6 overtime winner versus the Winnipeg Jets to send the Stars through to the Western Conference Final.
"If there's an MVP of the second half of the season, with what happened with Miro (Heiskanen), I think it would have to be (Harley)," DeBoer said. "He went to a different level. We piled so much on his shoulders, from running the power play to playing against other teams' best players to transitioning the puck. The kid just keeps delivering and delivering every night."
Harley notched a career-high 16 goals and 50 points from the back end during the regular season. The 23-year-old was superb down the stretch, tallying nine goals and 27 points in 30 contests after Heiskanen's injury Jan. 28.
Harley has four goals and 11 points in 13 postseason games, ranking second to the Edmonton Oilers' Evan Bouchard among defenders in scoring. He also leads all players who advanced past the first round with an average time on ice of 26:37.
DeBoer also credited goaltender Jake Oettinger, who's made 125 more saves than the next closest goaltender still playing in the postseason.
"Our goaltending's been exceptional," DeBoer said. "He just went head-to-head with maybe the MVP of the league and what everyone is saying is the best goaltender in the world, and he probably was this year in (Connor) Hellebuyck. And he went toe-to-toe with him, nose-to-nose with him, the entire series. Great character, gut check by Jake, and he's delivering at a real key time for us."
The Stars are into the Western Conference Final for the third straight year, having knocked off two of the league's best teams in the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche.
"It's hard to believe we're halfway, right?" DeBoer said. "It sure feels like we've been through a lot. But that's the beauty of the NHL playoffs. We'll take a couple days (to rest). I think we've got a lot left.
"I've said it here, I think we've got something special going on. We're going to have to prove it again. We've been to this spot the last two years and haven't taken the next step, so that's the challenge."