A quick start sinks Dallas. Despite comeback attempts, defensive lapses and key Devils goals seal the Stars' fate.
The Dallas Stars are looking to get back into the win column after losing to Minnesota 2-1 in overtime and 3-2 to Vegas in regulation. The Stars, at one point, were just two points behind the Colorado Avalanche in the race for the President's Trophy. They have been in a bit of a rough patch and have been trying to get out of it.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (7) and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) celebrates an empty net goal scored by Hamilton against the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesThe New Jersey Devils currently sit well outside of a playoff spot and should be the perfect opportunity to bounce back for the Stars. However, very quickly into the first period it would appear that they would be battling to get out of the funk they are in. Jack Hughes scores on the first shot on goal, but Wyatt Johnston gets it right back with his 39th goal of the season.
However, the bleeding did not stop there. Several defensive breakdowns and with no help from Jake Oettinger, the Stars allow four goals on five shots on goal. Dallas started to push back a bit towards the end of the period, but the first frame ended with Oettinger still in goal.
The second period looked much better for the Stars, they controlled most of the period and stopped the bleeding. On the man-advantage, Johnston took advantage per usual. Johnston becomes one of just five Stars players to ever record 40 goals in a season. With some life back into the game, the chances kept coming. Jason Robertson gets the Stars within one goal with his 39th of the season.
The final frame was the last chance for the Stars to prove that they can dig themselves out of a slump and adapt to adversity mid game. With the game on the line and down by one, the Stars were in the position they wanted to be, controlling the puck. But one wrong move and they are down by two again when Timo Meier roofs one after DeSmith made several incredible saves. There was about 12 minutes left in the period, but with the way the game had went, it felt like the final nail in the Stars coffin.
Although, Mavrik Bourque would have something to say about that. Bourque, who had several high-danger chances previously, finally gets one to fall, bringing the Stars back within one again as the power-play expired. DeSmith gets pulled with a little over three minutes left in the game, so the Stars go on the 6-on-5 attack, simultaneously feeling like they could either score at any moment or give up the empty net goal. And just on par with how the night had gone, after a scramble in front of the net, Dougie Hamilton finds the puck and makes the empty net from right in front of his own netminder.
After the game, Thomas Harley and head coach, Glen Gulutzan, would attribute the loss to be self-inflicted, stating that they knew the Devils were a quick team and that they would have to be mindful of that and be sure to not let them get in behind the defense, which happened several times throughout the game.
In Gulutzan's press conference, he stated, "I don't think this is going to be a quick reset, I think we're going to have to work our way out of it and execute our way out of it. Usually the way we get out of these is play a real stingy road game, and that usually resets us." Fortunately for the Stars, they are headed on a four game road trip starting with the New York Islanders on Thursday.
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