Despite leading in almost every category on the stat sheet, the Stars saw their franchise-record winning streak come to an end in Chicago.
Despite leading in almost every category on the stat sheet, the Stars saw their franchise-record winning streak come to an end in Chicago.
It's every coach's nightmare: play a road game against a team well out of the playoff race, followed by a second against another breathing down your neck for a division title.
The Dallas Stars faced such a dilemma heading into a Saturday matinee road contest against the Chicago Blackhawks, followed by a showdown in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche on a back-to-back.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer gambled on resting Jake Oettinger, who hasn't allowed a goal in over 152 minutes. He also made Tyler Seguin a healthy scratch to allow him to rest after recently coming back from an injury. That allowed Mavrik Bourque, the Stars' 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft, to make his long-awaited NHL debut.
In theory, it's a sensible strategy, especially with only six games left before the postseason begins. Save your No. 1 goaltender and one of your most experienced forwards for the matchup with the second-place team in the Central Division rather than an eighth-place club with just 49 points on the season.
Unfortunately for the Stars, someone forgot to inform Chicago that this was a meaningless game. They may have had little to play for, but a chance to knock off a team fighting for a Central Division and Western Conference bragging rights and even a President's Trophy was something worth playing for.
The Blackhawks weathered a dominant performance by the Stars on the stat sheet to steal a 3-2 victory at United Center and stop Dallas's eight-game winning streak, the longest in franchise history.
The first period ended in a stalemate, although the Stars had several grade-A chances to jump ahead, having a big advantage in shots on goal (14-6 and shot attempts (30-11). Mason Marchment hit the left post on a faceoff, and Jason Robertson might have scored had there not been a miscommunication between him and Joe Pavelski.
The Stars' inability to capitalize came back to bite them in the second period. After Matt Duchene was called for slashing Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks' No. 1 overall draft pick proceeded to place a shot off the left post past Wedgewood for a 1-0 lead at the 4:48 mark. It was the 22nd tally of the season for the 18-year-old phenom.
Just over a minute later, Andreas Athanasiou caught the Stars at the blue line, streaked down the left side of the slot and snapped a wrister from in close for a 2-0 Blackhawks lead.
The hole got even deeper for Dallas after missing two golden opportunities to get one past Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek. The Blackhawks mounted a counter-attack, capped off by Seth Jones, who banged one in from the left circle at 8:51 to increase his club's lead to 3-0.
The Stars then went on a 5-on-3 man advantage after Joe Pavelski was taken down by Philipp Kurashev and Marchment was cross-checked by Jarred Tinordi, but Chicago managed to successfully kill both penalties.
Roope Hintz finally put the Stars on the board with a redirection from Miro Heiskanen for his 29th goal of the season at 15:37.
Just when it looked as if Dallas might mount a comeback in the third period, Lady Luck didn't look their way.
Hintz nearly scored his second goal a few minutes later from point-blank range, but Mrazek stopped the shot with his right pad.
Looking to make his debut complete with his first NHL goal, Bourque appeared to have scored at the 8:53 mark, but was pushed into Mrazek. The puck looked as if it went into the net, but referee Morgan MacPhee signaled no goal after huddling with his linesmen.
Dallas challenged the ruling, only to have it upheld. To add insult to injury, MacPhee initially announced the goal was good, only to quickly correct himself.
At 15:37, Heiskanen got off a backhander in the high slot that was tipped in by Jamie Benn. After another review, the goal was allowed, and the Stars finally cut the lead to 3-2.
Benn was officially credited with his 20th goal of the season, making him the eighth Dallas player to reach the 20-goal mark this season.
Things got chippy late in the frame when Dickinson was called for tripping Heiskanen. During the power play, Marchment was hooked at center ice by Colin Blackwell. However, Marchment was also penalized for embellishing, but the Stars were unable to take advantage of the power play in either case. Chicago held on for the final minutes and came away with the 3-2 victory, ending the Stars' eight-game winning streak.
Takeaways from the Game:
The scoreboard may not lie, but the stat sheet sometimes does. Consider these numbers:
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
That should have been more than enough for a Dallas win. But Mrazek looked more like Oettinger, stopping 42 shots. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks defense blocked 27 shots.
Coaches often have the unenviable task of walking a tightrope resting certain players on a back-to-back, yet still putting your team in a position to win both games.
DeBoer shuffled his lines, starting Bourque with Logan Stankoven and Jamie Benn. Unfortunately, his strategy didn't pay off, making Sunday night's game in Denver against the Avalanche that much more pivotal.
While he didn't score a goal, Bourque accounted himself well in his NHL debut. He had several chances to score, including the goal that wasn't, and even broke up a centering pass from Bedard to Dickinson. Seguin will probably play Sunday, so it will be interesting to see if Bourque gets another chance to shine on this short two-game road trip.
The Stars drop to 48-20-9 for the season, failing to put more distance between themselves and Colorado in the Central Division after the avs fell 6-2 to the Edmonton Oilers Friday. Only three points separate the two teams, making Sunday night's game that much bigger.
Hall of Fame Goalie An Inspiration for Jake Oettinger
Stars Set Franchise Record in Edmonton Win
DeBoer Noncommittal On Tanev's Return
Highlight Hat Trick: A Marchment Milestone, Benn Does It Again, Pavelski's Power Play
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
- undefined