Dallas Stars Once Again Show Flaws In Deflating Loss To Golden Knights

With the 2019 Trade Deadline in the past, the Dallas Stars opened their final stretch of the season on a stale note. They dropped a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and further showed off the issues that have plagued them all year. This is the time of the season where those issues cannot keep occurring.

Exactly 365 days ago today, the Dallas Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 2-0. It was an impressive win for a few different reasons, but one primary reason stood out among the rest: it was the Stars’ first post-deadline game.

That was an important factor in the minds of Stars fans. As the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline passed on Feb. 26, GM Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars stood pat, committing to their current lineup for the final race to the playoffs. At that time, Dallas held control of the first wild card spot and looked like a potential playoff contender, but still needed some offensive depth for scoring purposes.

But instead of striking a deal, Nill stuck to his guns and asked his current lineup to rise to the challenge.

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And in that first game following the deadline, the Stars rose to the challenge. Devin Shore (a depth scorer) got things started on the scoreboard in the first period, Tyler Seguin increased the lead with a power play goal in the second period, and Ben Bishop put a bow on top with a 38-save shutout. Going up against a desperate Calgary team trying to keep themselves in the wild card race, it was an impressive victory to start off the homestretch.

Now, you probably still remember what happened in the weeks following (unless you possess the mental strength to completely expunge it from your mind). To put it plainly, the Dallas Stars imploded. They went 4-8-4 in the month of March (including an 0-6-2 skid in the heart of the month), fell victim to their own lack of offensive depth, and watched as their hopes at a playoff berth evaporated completely.

But in those first few games between the deadline and the losing streak, the Stars looked like a team prepared to complete the postseason race on a high note.

Here we are one year later, and Dallas doesn’t have that luxury anymore. That’s because they dropped a flat 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the desert on Tuesday night. For a first game following the deadline, that’s a disappointing way to start off. But for the Stars’ situation, it’s all the more concerning.

The problem with Tuesday night’s game is that it once again helped in flaunting the Stars’ inconsistencies and shortcomings.

The Dallas Stars are a flawed team. Now, every team in the NHL has some sort of flaw(s) (besides maybe the Tampa Bay Lightning), and the Stars are no different.

Against the Golden Knights, those flaws once again showed their ugly faces. It wasn’t for the entire game, though.

The Stars actually started the game on a positive note. After weathering an early 6-0 shot run by the Golden Knights, Dallas fought back with a strong surge in the first period and picked up an early 1-0 lead thanks to Roope Hintz on the power play.

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In the second period, they stayed afloat despite giving up a power play goal to Max Pacioretty and entered the second intermission in a tight 1-1 stalemate.

But in the third period, they crumbled entirely. While they found a way to survive a lengthy 5-on-3 penalty kill, Pacioretty scored again after Bishop misplayed the puck behind the goal to take the 2-1 lead. After the Dallas offense struggled to even get one consistent push together in retaliation, the Knights knocked in two empty-net goals to finish off the 4-1 final.

So, which problems were the Dallas Stars plagued with? Let’s go down the line.

The offense didn’t score a goal at even strength. They were somewhat consistent in their attack through the first 40 minutes, but were outshot 21-1 in the third period. Playoff teams don’t let that happen.
The Stars tried to rely on Bishop much too often throughout the game. No. 30 was incredible overall and, would have stopped each of the 35 shots faced at even strength had it not been for one misplayed puck behind the net. Playoff teams give their goaltenders scoring support.
The Dallas defense went unnaturally dark once again. As a result, the Vegas offense took it to them. It was the fourth time in the past five games that the Stars allowed 40 or more shots against, leaving Bishop as the deciding factor.
The special teams continued to struggle. While the power play went 1/2 (50 percent), the penalty kill continued its slump, going just 2/3 (66 percent). Special teams contributed to the Stars’ demise during March 2018. If they truly are a postseason contender, the special teams will have to shore up.
Ryan Reaves used his physicality and peskiness to his advantage, and the Dallas Stars allowed him to do so. No one (besides Jason Dickinson‘s verbal exchange) fought back in any way, shape, or form and gave Reaves full reign to get under the team’s skin and force them into making mistakes and not playing to their fullest potential. Playoff teams find a way to stand up to and silence or eliminate opposing enforcers.

Those are just some of the primary talking points. The bottom line is that the Stars couldn’t get the job done in their first game post-deadline, even after Nill recommitted to his lineup after some last-minute injuries plagued the team just before the deadline hit. It was a game that followed up an intense and challenging game in Chicago on Sunday afternoon, one in which Dallas pulled off an emotional 4-3 victory. The success didn’t find a way translate.

And while the Stars were falling victim to the Knights’ attack, the rest of the Central division was moving ahead. The St. Louis Blues defeated the Nashville Predators, pushing their lead over the Stars in the Central division race to seven points. Minnesota also picked up a gritty win over the Winnipeg Jets and moved into sole control of the first wild card spot, demoting Dallas to the second spot.

As a result, the Stars find themselves sandwiched between the Wild, Avalanche, and Coyotes, with only three points separating the four teams. The playoff race is once again airtight for Dallas, and a loss in Vegas definitely didn’t help their cause.

This is a tough spot for any team, especially one dealing with multiple injuries. Jamie Benn is questionable for Thursday night’s game against Los Angeles after missing the Vegas game. Andrew Cogliano was injured on Tuesday and will miss his first career game (out of 929) due to injury on Thursday. Mats Zuccarello is still a month away from returning as well.