Dallas Stars Fall to Montreal Canadiens Thanks to Old Habits
After an enjoyable and high-powered ride over the past week, the Dallas Stars went right back to their old ways on Tuesday night in Montreal.
The Dallas Stars looked to have a surge of energy in the games prior to their official mathematical elimination from the playoffs. They were playing as a collective unit made up of talented individuals and it was rather spectacular to watch.
Last night, however, they lost that magic in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. While it was the first time Jamie Benn and Jordie Benn played against one another, that storyline was not the focus in the game itself. Unfortunately, the Stars fell back into their old bad habits in the loss.
Fast Start, Slow Finish
Dallas played incredibly well from the first puck drop up until about midway through the first period. Before the momentum change in Montreal’s direction, the Stars were able to dictate play and have some fantastic opportunities against Carey Price.
They were rewarded for their efforts when Curtis McKenzie scored to put them up 1-0. However, that lead only survived the first period. As time went on Dallas was unable to maintain their offensive pressure and succumbed to the Canadien’s talent.
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This happened numerous times this season and there is a reason it simply does not work out in the Stars’ favor. Opposing teams playing from behind are fighting to get back in the game. When they finally get some level of hope that they will be able to do that, momentum swings occur.
That is really when things go south for the Stars. They are far too often unable to prevent their opponent from capitalizing and they lose their handle on the game itself. This took place in the third period last night when Montreal scored three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes.
Capitalizing
When offense goes wrong the problem is normally quite simple to diagnose, but rather challenging to correct. Such is the situation of the Stars’ inability to capitalize on plays.
They have become excellent when addressing their offensive issues with the media, constantly pointing out the need to “simplify,” but when it comes down to it they did not change much.
Last night there were a number of opportunities to score into a mostly or entirely empty net, but Dallas just could not convert. They were caught staring at the puck, in the wrong place or just missed it by an inch.
Although that is understandable to a degree in a game as fast-paced as hockey, the Stars’ inability to capitalize on golden opportunities cost them the season. Their offense has been the greatest disappointment and hindrance to their return to the playoffs and, unfortunately, that trend continued in last night’s loss.
Moving Forward
With the slimmer of hope to make the playoffs no longer hanging around, the Stars have the chance to take risks. They can approach games with less stress knowing that they do not count in any significant way, but they can also take pride in how they perform.
Next: What Sharp's Season-Ending Surgery Means
Just because the team is out of the playoffs does not mean they quit. It should push them even further because really what is better than exceeding expectations when down and out?