RALEIGH, N.C. _ For 13 games, the Carolina Hurricanes have been able to avoid that dagger of a loss _ one in regulation, one without a point.
But the Dallas Stars handed the Canes just that kind of loss on Saturday, badly damaging Carolina's ever-slim playoff chances with a 3-0 victory at PNC Arena.
The Canes had claimed points in 13 straight games, a franchise record, and gone 9-0-4 since a regulation loss March 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. On Thursday, they rallied late to tie the score against the Columbus Blue Jackets, then won 2-1 in overtime.
But the Stars held on. Jason Spezza's goal at 4:46 of the second period gave the Stars a 1-0 lead, and goalie Kari Lehtonen made it stand up until empty-net goals by John Klingberg and Devin Shore in the final two minutes of regulation sealed it.
Lehtonen had 25 saves in his third shutout of the season.
The Canes went into the game five points out of playoff position after the Boston Bruins won earlier Saturday. The Bruins moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division, passing the Toronto Maple Leafs, who played Saturday night.
With five games remaining in the regular season, the Canes now can only hope to win all five and hope 94 points will be enough. Their next two games are on the road _ against Pittsburgh on Sunday and then at Minnesota on Tuesday.
It was a game of near-misses offensively for the Canes, who didn't muster a lot against the Stars, who kept tight gaps and put sticks on pucks.
It didn't help the Canes that they passed up a few shots trying to make plays or misfired on good chances when plays were made.
In the first, Teuvo Teravainen made a good centering pass to Elias Lindholm but Lindholm couldn't get his stick on the puck to finish the play. Later in the period, Lehtonen made and strong stop on a Teravainen shot in the slot.
After Spezza scored off the rush in the second, the Canes' Jordan Staal soon had a chance to answer. But Staal's shot was wide.
Some critical saves by goalie Cam Ward in the second kept it a 1-0 game. He turned back a Cody Eakin shot and then leaped to get his stick on the puck to deny Brett Ritchie at the post.
The pressure on the Canes intensified in the third. Sebastian Aho had a chance to tie the score on a rebound, catching Lehtonen out of position, but could make a play on the puck.
A year ago, the Stars were playoff bound. They won the Central Division and finished the regular season with 50 wins and 109 points, then won their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.
It has been an injured-filled season for the Stars, but they still have dangerous skill players. Spezza, to name one.
Spezza beat Ward with a top-shelf shot high to the glove side for his 13th goal of the season. He could have had two in the game, but Ward denied him on a breakaway about seven minutes into the third.
