For the first time since Jan. 22, the Dallas Stars lost in regulation, snapping a 15-game (14-0-1) point streak. The Utah Mammoth got the better of them in a 6-3 loss at American Airlines Center on Monday night.
Sam Steel, Wyatt Johnston, and Adam Erne scored for the Stars, while Casey DeSmith made 16 saves on 21 shots.
Clayton Keller, Nate Schmidt, Jack McBain, Kailer Yamamoto, Michael Carcone, and Lawson Crouse scored for the Mammoth. Vitek Vanecek made 27 saves on 30 shots.
3rd Period Collapse Ends Streak
Heading into the final 20 minutes, with the game tied 2-2, the 16-game point streak was there for the taking for the Stars. They were the better team in the first, and the Mammoth returned the favor in the second, so in the third period, it was anyone’s game.
The Stars have scored 81 goals in the third period, which is seventh in the NHL, but have allowed 71, which is also seventh. We’ve watched this time and time again over the course of the season. The Stars build a lead, only to allow their opponent to crawl back in, and in most cases, steal a point. On Monday, it was tied heading into the third, but the Mammoth had no trouble scoring goals. The Stars, on the other hand, couldn’t return serve.
It was an uncharacteristic night for the Stars, but after not losing in regulation in 55 days, it was bound to happen.
“Early on, I thought they were a little loose, especially in the first eight minutes, and we just didn’t execute anything,” head coach Glen Gulutzan said after the game. “I don’t think we were quite sharp enough in the beginning of the game to capitalize on some of those chances, especially off the line rushes.”
That’s a perfect way to describe it. All night long, it felt like the Stars were fighting their game a bit. It’s something we haven’t seen from this team in a long time.
“They got up 3-2 and then we started to press a little bit, and we haven’t done that in a while. You give up three 2-on-1s and they get another and put the game out of reach.”
Tough Night on Special Teams
Simply put, the Stars are one of the best teams in the NHL when it comes to their special teams. They are second in the league on the power play (29.6%) and 10th on the penalty kill (80.9%). On Monday night, both units let them down.
With the game tied 2-2, the Stars had a power play at the beginning of the third period, which was a perfect opportunity to take control of the game. Especially since the Stars seemingly score a goal with the man advantage every night.
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Instead, McBain scored a shorthanded goal to give Utah a 3-2 lead, and the Stars would never recover. With the game 4-2 towards the end of the period, Carcone scored a power-play goal to essentially put the game out of reach.
The Stars had three power plays of their own but couldn’t convert on any of them. At the end of the day, a rough night was bound to happen; it’s not the end of the world for a team that could take over the Central Division by the end of the week. However, there were opportunities to win this game, and a lot of the missed ones were on the special teams.
Lian Bichsel Continues to Rise to the Occasion
Lian Bichsel was a revelation last season when he came up from the Texas Stars (AHL) and played 38 games. This season, one filled with injury, has been a little less inspiring. However, he came back after the Olympics, having been out since the beginning of December, and he’s been exactly what the Stars have needed.
First off, the kid is 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds and isn’t afraid to throw around his body. Before his injury, he was throwing four or more hits every single night. Since returning, those nights have been there, but there’s been a deeper focus on his play as a defender, rather than just a guy who can use his physicality.
That being said, on Monday, he used his body in a way he hadn’t before. At 15:02 of the first period, Bichsel dropped the mitts with McBain and looked rather good doing so. Typically, he throws big hits, but when he’s challenged to fight, he skates away uninterested. Last night, he had no problem rising to the occasion, and it’s something we need to see more of down the stretch.
Up Next
The Stars take on the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday at Ball Arena.
