All good things come to an end, eventually. The Boston Bruins' (28-20-2) six-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Dallas Stars (28-13-9).
The Stars beat up on the Bruins early and often, ultimately compiling a 4-0 lead after two periods, outshooting Boston 32-11 along the way.
By the time the game ended, Dallas won 6-2, with Boston grabbing two consolation goals in the final 10 minutes after trailing 6-0.
The Stars had lost three straight entering tonight, and had scored just three goals in those games.
Dallas snapped out of their funk, crushing Boston's momentum all at once.
Every team has one of those games here and there. Still, the biggest factor in things getting out of hand early had to be Boston's three first-period penalties, on which Dallas scored two power play goals.
One clear theme from this season is the Bruins struggle when playing from behind, and they struggle when they take too many penalties.
Take both and throw them into a game against one of the premier clubs in the league, and this is the type of result you get.
The Stars flexed their muscle, giving Boston starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman no chance. Swayman made 31 saves. Jake Oettinger stopped 16 pucks in the win.
Perhaps most surprising, entering tonight the Bruins had more total wins than the Stars. The Bruins entered with 28 to Dallas' 27. Now, both are even at 28.
Dallas now sits 12 points ahead of the playoff cut line by virtue of their seven extra loser points and a soft Western Conference.
The Bruins have a two-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs (who have a game in hand). It's a strange season, one where ordinarily, a 28-20-2 record should see you safely in a playoff spot.
Not this year for these Bruins. They'll return home for two games with the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens.
Believe it or not, we're just 15 days away from the final Bruins game ahead of the Olympic Break. Starting Thursday with Vegas, the Bruins will play five games in eight days, with a day trip to Manhattan to take on the New York Rangers.
Then, the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers come to town, before Boston heads south for the Stadium Series game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The pre-Olympics portion of the season comes to an end with a duel against Brad Marchand's Florida Panthers.
Trade talk will heat up, and games will come at a rapid pace. Buckle up, Bruins fans. It's about to get crazy.