Dallas Stars Put Out Strong Effort, But Fall To Columbus In OT
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars most recent trip to Columbus resulted in another tough L to bear. They fell short to the Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. Post game report can be found below.
If you didn’t get a chance to watch last night’s game between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets, you saved yourself a night of heartache. Though the Stars put together one of their strongest and most energetic efforts of the season, they still fell in overtime to the Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2.
But do not fear, Stars fans. If anything, this game was just a reminder that this team can still do damage, even when they are severely undermanned. The post game wrap-up can be found below.
Game recap
The first period was all Dallas Stars. They started the contest with an 8-0 shots advantage. Neither team was able to crack the opposing goaltender and the 0-0 tie held true after 20 minutes.
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Early on in the second period, Nick Foligno scored to gain the 1-0 lead. But Jason Spezza was quick to counter and knot the game up at 1-1. The score remained that way to end the second.
Tyler Seguin broke the tie not even two minutes into the third to gain the 2-1 lead for Dallas. It was their first time to hold a lead since last Tuesday night in a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
But the Blue Jackets were not prepared to end the night on a loss. With 16 seconds remaining in the period, Sam Gagner scored on the power play to link the game at 2-2. Overtime commenced and it didn’t take long for Seth Jones to find the back of the net with a screaming wrist shot to win the game for Columbus.
Thoughts and Observations
-The Dallas Stars now fall to 3-4-2 (eight points) on the year. It’s still very early, but it’s disheartening that even a strong effort such as last night’s still cannot secure a win.
-The Stars definitely outplayed the Blue Jackets on multiple fronts. They outshot them 38-28, controlled the possession for the majority of the game, and set the tone for the game. Sadly, Columbus found a way to one-up them in the very end.
-Dallas once again struggled on the special teams, going 0/4 on the power play and 1/2 on the penalty kill. If they cannot get their man advantage and shorthanded play fixed soon, they will more than likely be staring at the same result as they received last night. They have to learn to score on power plays and shut down the zone on the PK.
–Antti Niemi just was not there tonight for Dallas. The Stars’ goaltending seemed to be their only consistent area of play going into yesterday’s game, but it didn’t show up against Columbus. Niemi finished 23-25 (.893 save percentage) in the crease. They need to bring firepower on offense, defense, and in net if they want to win in the games to come.
-The Blue Jackets held a slight advantage in most of the stat categories, outdoing Dallas in the face-off dot with a 55 % win percentage, outhitting 14-13, and blocking 18 shots to the Stars’ 16.
–Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Spezza were the only ones who found the stat sheet tonight for Dallas. As much as you may hate to say it, these three players cannot be the only ones to carry the Stars along. With injuries to Patrick Sharp, Cody Eakin, Ales Hemsky, and others, the young guns for the Stars will need to step up and contribute. It’s their only shot at true consistency.
Next: Now Is Not The Time To Give Up Hope, Stars Fans
The Dallas Stars put out the best effort they could tonight, yet still wound up on the losing side. The worst thing they can do is get discouraged now. Dallas still has time to right the ship and get things back on track. It just might be smart to secure some wins here in the next few games.
The Stars’ next contest is on Thursday night at home against the St. Louis Blues. This game will kick off a four-game set against Central Division teams for Dallas. Oh what fun.