We didn't really expect the Stars to never lose again, did we? Or...did we?
Dallas' 15-game point streak came to an end Monday night, 6-3, at the American Airlines Center as the Utah Mammoth took advantage of some Stars mistakes to put a dent in the home team's chase of the Colorado Avalanche while also strengthening their own wildcard positioning for the postseason.
The Stars weren't atrocious against the Mammoth, but no one who watched the game would say they played well. Or even average. The entire game felt rather uninspired. The moment Miro Heiskanen failed to keep a puck along the boards in the zone when Dallas was on their early third-period power play, you could almost hear the crowd gasp, "Oh, no." Dallas' best defenseman not only failed to keep the zone but also bubbled the gather, allowing Jack McBain to pick up a loose puck and skate in unimpeded on Casey DeSmith for the go-ahead goal.
DeSmith and Heiskanen picked the wrong night to have their worst games of the season
— Gregory W (@ghellmuth7) March 17, 2026
That Dallas gave up two more goals in the next 12 minutes was hardly a surprise. The air was let completely out of the balloon after the Stars gave up the short-handed marker. And while the loss is frustrating, it's hardly surprising. The 15-game streak was a franchise record for a franchise that has been one of the NHL's best over the last 30 years.
Plenty of time remains for the Stars to catch the Avalanche. Heading into late Monday night, Colorado carried a three-point edge in the Central Division with two games in hand. A potential good-news/bad-news situation lies immediately ahead, as well. Dallas' next two games come Wednesday against the Avs (on the road) and Saturday against fellow Central rival Minnesota Wild (on the road). Two wins create a madcap race to the finish over the final baker's dozen worth of contests, while two losses would make the Stars' first-round home-ice advantage in the postseason tenuous.
And that will do it. The Dallas Stars lose to the Utah Mammoth 6-3, ending a franchise record-tying 15-game point streak.
— Owen Newkirk (@OwenNewkirk) March 17, 2026
That's their first regulation loss since January 22nd at Columbus.
It's easy to look back and pick one game here or there that could have changed the results, but that's hindsight. In the moment, fans' best bet is to appreciate the 15 games that came before Monday rather than focusing on the day's result.
The next week, instead, is set to be even more major. And now that the streak is over and some element of pressure is off, the Stars can get back to looking like the team that hadn't lost in regulation since Jan. 22