One of the things I remember most about the lessons from those who raised me has to do with the difference between reasons and excuses. They may seem the same and often are spoken in the same manner. One attempts to justify something lacking. The other is a simple statement of fact.
As to which is more appropriate for the Stars' outcome Tuesday, we'll go with a reason.
Dallas was outplayed - has been outplayed - at even strength through all five games of its first-round Western Conference Playoffs series with the Minnesota Wild, and outplayed badly. The Stars' lack of five-on-five punch has left them staring at a 3-2 hole in the series after Tuesday's loss.
That's why they're losing. No more, no less. As important as special teams can be and are, a majority of the 60-game minutes in the NHL are played five aside. Certainly, opportunities taken advantage of on the power play or countered via the penalty kill are key. But if little comes for a majority of the game, and little comes for the majority of the game over and over, you're going to lose more often than not.
The Wild truly were the worst draw for the Stars right now, too, especially with Hintz out. They just stay in their cocoon, stack 5 guys in the middle, muddy everything up and then wait for a mistake, and our lack of defensive playmakers keeps letting it happen.
— Tim Roberts (@21stCenturyTim) April 29, 2026
Dallas isn't even winning the ice tilt at even strength, even if the Stars have been incredibly unlucky going against Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt.
Now, Dallas has, perhaps, one game to figure out how to change things. And on the excuses front, certainly, things would have been easier with top-line center Roope Hintz in the lineup. Hintz is the sort of player who isn't just a nearly-point-per-game scorer; he's one of the most responsible forwards in his own zone in the NHL.
For all the high-end talent the Stars carry - Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene, Miro Heiskanen - the one extra defender on the ice seems to clog things too much to allow that talent to showcase its handles. Once Minnesota loses a defender and goes on the kill, the ice opens, and Dallas looks like one of the best teams in the league. Otherwise, the Stars aren't just ordinary so far in the postseason; they're bad.
It's made a bulk of this series, even Dallas' wins, somewhat hard to watch. The Stars have, after Game 1, anyway, matched the Wild's jump and juice. They haven't had the Wild's puck luck, either. But that's an excuse. The reason Dallas trails in the series is simply that the Stars haven't been good enough.
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