DALLAS _ Fans went home happy on Fan Appreciation Night, so maybe there was some symmetry to this crazy Stars season.
Dallas blew a two-goal lead, had a goal disallowed in overtime, and finally won in a shootout, 4-3, against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday to end the year at 34-37-11, one of the more disappointing records since the team moved to Dallas in 1993.
But the American Airlines Center ice was filled with partying fans excited about next season, so the message was mixed.
Just like the game.
Playing the worst team in hockey with their own roster filled with minor leaguers, the Stars were actually quite inspired. Dallas outshot the Avalanche 18-4 in the first period and peppered back-up goalie Jeremy Smith with a ton of quality scoring chances. But, as has happened so many times this season, the Stars did not convert.
The only goal came when Cody Eakin tipped a shot that trickled through Smith and sat on the goal line. Rookie Devin Shore dove into the crease to tip the puck home for his 13th goal of the season, and that was all the Stars could come up with.
Still, Dallas didn't panic, as it has done so many times this season. Instead, the Stars stayed with the game plan, drew a penalty, and Jamie Benn scored a power play goal to open the second period. It was a beautiful play where Tyler Seguin moved the puck to John Klingberg and Klingberg then slid a perfect pass through the slot to Benn for an easy tap-in and a 2-0 lead.
That should have been enough to crush the Avalanche, which fell to 22-55-4, but Smith held the fort, and Colorado pushed back. Mikko Rantanen tipped in a Tyson Barrie shot in the second period, and then Gabriel Landesko tipped in a Francois Beauchemin shot to tie it in the third.
Dallas then showed the special teams collapse that has been such a big part of this season. Patrik Nemeth took a holding penalty _ the Stars' only penalty of the game _ and the league-worst penalty kill allowed a goal in just five seconds.
Nathan MacKinnon tipped in a Barrie shot, and the Stars allowed their 65th power play goal against.
Had the season ended that way, it would have been totally appropriate, but the hockey gods still weren't finished.
Seguin made a fantastic tip to tie the game at the 13:44 mark of the third period, and then Klingberg seemingly won the game in overtime to spark a huge celebration. But, a league review showed Seguin was offside on the Klingberg goal, so the teams had to be called back out to finish OT.
The overtime ended at 3-3, and the shootout began. Seguin scored on his chance, while Kari Lehtonen stopped Matt Duchene, MacKinnon and Rantanen to get the win.
It was an odd ending to an odd season.
