Dallas Stars Finally Beat Avs, But Still Suffer Consequences
The Dallas Stars did something that seemed impossible and beat the Colorado Avalanche last night. But it sadly was not a clean win, as the Stars suffered a major consequence.
The drought is finally over, folks. On Thursday night, the Dallas Stars accomplished a feat that they had not been able to overcome since December 17, 2013. They beat the Colorado Avalanche for the first time in over two years.
The victory was in stunning fashion as well, as only the Stars seem to know how to do when they outdo Central Division opponents. The Stars started the game with an early goal and it looked as though they may be able to run away with the game. The Avalanche started their backup goalie Calvin Pickard, leaving the near indestructible Semyon Varlamov on the bench. The Stars looked like they may be set for a field day.
But just a little over a minute later, the Avs countered and tied the game 1-1. Three minutes after that, they scored again and took the 2-1 lead, meaning they would once again be fighting back from behind. Towards the end of the second period, Dallas tied it back up. But 1:25 after the equalizer, Colorado jumped back in the driver seat with a 3-2 lead.
It took Jason Demers‘ sixth goal of the season after some slick passing to tie the game up at 3-3 halfway through the final frame. The score somehow stood still from there and the game moved to overtime. The Stars would not be denied either, and John Klingberg sniped home the game-winning goal a mere 35 seconds into the extra frame.
The first response that comes to mind after a victory like that is something along the lines of, “HOLY POOP STARS WIN IT IN OVERTIME WHAT A GAME!” From this emotional platform most shift to, “WE BEAT COLORADO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER!” And finally, a bit of anger seeps in as you say, “The Stars outshot the Avs 44-24. Why can we never win by a massive amount after dominating on offense?”
Whatever thoughts transmit through your head after a win like that, I hope you left some space for disappointment. Yes, it seems that even when the Dallas Stars do the unthinkable and finally take down the Avalanche, they still cannot escape clean and without any frays or scratches.
After scoring the game’s first goal, Jason Spezza exited Thursday night’s game about midway through the second period. After the game ended, it was made known that Spezza had endured a lower-body injury and would miss “more than a few days.”
Not to mention that Ales Hemsky was also partially crippled after scoring a goal in the second. Hemsky was a bit shaken up on the play, but finished the game and seemed alright at the end. At one point in the second though, it looked as though the Stars were going to begin dropping like flies.
What on earth are we supposed to make of that? First off Antti Niemi cannot even salvage a .900 or above save percentage in the win and now this?
The thing is, the Dallas Stars have not been hit with any major, season-shaking injuries so far this season. Losing Spezza, who is currently the Stars fourth highest points producer (18-22-40) and is on track for a very respectable season, could prove to be a big blockade.
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Even when the Stars think they have cleanly beaten the Avalanche and finally bested them, something detrimental like this has to occur. What Dallas has working for them though is a talented pool of prospects. They also have options on their NHL roster where they can shift forwards around to different positions, meaning they can call up a center or winger to cover for Spezza.
The Stars will continue their journey through the hellish schedule laid out for them in February, somehow still unstained. They currently own an undefeated 2-0-0 record through the month and will look to continue their resilience against their Central Division foes.
Next: For First Time In Two Years, Stars Defeat Colorado Avalanche
Their next test comes on Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, a team they are 1-0-0 against this year but that have beefed up quite a bit since their last meeting. The game happens on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center, and things just got a whole lot more interesting. Be warned and be weary, it’s going to be a fun one.