The Dallas Stars wrapped up their 2018-19 campaign on Tuesday night in one of the most frustrating ways possible. They dropped a 2-1 decision in double overtime in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues on the road. And just like that, their journey is over.
Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop did absolutely everything in his power on Tuesday night to lead his team to a Game 7 win. But when it was all said and done, it just wasn’t in the cards.
And as Pat Maroon barreled in on the crease to tap in the game-winning goal in double overtime, the painful picture of the Stars’ postseason fate had the finishing touches added to it. Seconds later, the Enterprise Center went into an uproar, the Blues players and coaching staff hopped over the boards to celebrate, and entire city of Dallas sank into a feeling of ultimate despair and agony.
It’s funny how much one goal in playoff overtime can so quickly elate an entire city and crush another at the same time. But that’s how it goes sometimes. And with that, the Dallas Stars 2018-19 playoff journey has come to an untimely end.
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“I guess the first word that comes is frustrated,” said Bishop following the game. “Obviously, we had a good opportunity there. Just a little frustrated right now. It’s tough to end your season in overtime. It’s frustrating to lose in overtime and then to lose with your season ending. It’s frustrating right now. The guys did a good job and we’ll have to kind of look back on it in a few days.”
“Right now, it sucks,” added Stars forward Jamie Benn. “It’s pretty self-explanatory.”
“Not good,” pointed out Seguin about the feeling after the loss. “Pretty empty.”
As the Stars and Blues entered their Game 7 series finale on Tuesday night, it seemed as though anything could happen. The first six games of the series had been filled with momentum swings, back-and-forth action, and a constant presence of the unexpected. Dallas dominated in certain games, while St. Louis took control in others.
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No team ever got up by more than one win in the series. Ben Bishop was lights out in some contests, while Jordan Binnington was the better goaltender at other times. There was ebbs and flows on the power play and penalty kill for both clubs. Sometimes, the Stars started a game fast and took advantage. In others, the Blues took control early and set the tempo.
Back and forth the pendulum went. Back and forth the series went, with the better team winning every game. And by the time Game 7 rolled around, the only disappointing part of the series was that Tuesday night would be the final installment.
But there had to be a winner. One team had to want it just a little bit more than the other one. One team had to wrap it all up and walk away with their ticket punched to the Western Conference Final.
And in Game 7, the Blues simply wanted it more.
The first period was pretty evenly-matched and involved everything that a typical hockey fan could want in a Game 7. There was intense action, plenty of speed and scoring chances, and two goals evenly split between the teams. Vince Dunn started the scoring midway through the period with a wrist shot from the blue line that sailed past a screened Bishop. Less than 2:30 later, Mats Zuccarello charged towards a loose puck in the slot and slammed it home as Binnington tried to locate it. The period ended with a 1-1 tie and a 13-10 shot advantage for the Stars, and the game seemed to be in line for a thrilling finish.
"“I thought in overtime, we kind of had our game coming a little bit. The first was okay. The second and third were not so good. I thought we played alright in the overtime and we had our chances. We just didn’t score.” – Jamie Benn on the Stars’ play in Game 7"
But in the final two periods, the Blues took complete control. They outshot the Stars 31-4 (including 18-1 in the middle frame), drew two different penalties, and were the better team overall. They were faster on pucks, more aggressive in all three zones, and limited Dallas to a dump-and-chase style that rarely turned into offensive zone time.
And yet, the game lingered into overtime. That was due in large part to the heroic efforts of goaltender Ben Bishop.
The starter was absolutely electric, stopping 52-54 shots faced and keeping the Dallas Stars afloat through a lifeless final 40 minutes of regulation. He was on top of his game in overtime as well, proving once again why he is a finalist for the Vezina and why he has been the primary backbone for the Stars throughout this year.
Pucks and Pitchforks
“Unbelievable game,” said Benn about the performance of Bishop. “It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t find a goal for him.”
“What a game by Bish,” added Stars forward Tyler Seguin. “He was incredible tonight. Really wish we could have got him one.”
But in the end, it just wasn’t meant to be. Less than six minutes into the second overtime period, Robert Thomas sent a shot towards the Dallas net from the right circle. The shot hit the post, deflected off of the back of Bishop’s head, and landed in the crease. That’s where Maroon found it and cashed in for the game-winning goal. After 85:50 of battling and trying to turn the tide in their favor, they fell just one goal short.
And just like that, the Dallas Stars close the book on yet another year. While this one was filled with challenges and obstacles as any other one, it came with a renewed sense of hope and excitement. That’s what the Stanley Cup Playoffs can do for a franchise.
The Stars battled hard this year. They entered as a wild card after clinching a spot in Game 80 of the regular season, knocked off the Central division champion Nashville Predators in six games in round one, and fell just one goal short of a trip to the Western Conference Final. That’s impressive for a team that was stuck in a cycle of mediocrity in mid-January.
But at this specific moment, there’s not much else that can be said. That’s also something that the Stanley Cup Playoffs can do to a franchise.
“I don’t know right now,” Benn said when asked a specific question about the game.
“Yeah, I’m sure it can,” added Seguin about whether this year’s playoff run can help the team going forward. “Obviously right now, I’m not really thinking about that.
That’s an indescribably tough way to go out.