GLENDALE, Ariz. — After the Dallas Stars lost 3-1 to the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night, one emotion emanated from the Dallas dressing room: Disappointment.
With a loss to the worst team in the Western Conference, the Stars blew a chance for their second straight perfect road trip and wasted an opportunity to close in on Nashville for the first Wild Card spot in the West. The Stars’ road trip was bookended by a win over the league’s best team and a loss to one of the league’s worst.
“That’s disappointing,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “We missed too many scoring opportunities in the third period. We could have won that game. Missed an open net, had some Grade As. We just didn’t capitalize.”
Stars forward Jason Robertson characterized the three-game road trip as “disappointing.” Stars captain Jamie Benn said he “would have liked six points.”
Coyotes goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves on Sunday, including 17 during the Stars’ push in the third period. Arizona received goals from Lawson Crouse (after Nick Schmaltz bullied Esa Lindell off the puck in the corner), Schmaltz (whose shot on the power play went off Miro Heiskanen’s stick and through his skate) and Clayton Keller (empty net).
Roope Hintz tipped Joe Pavelski’s tip for the only Stars goal of the night. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves in his first loss since the All-Star break.
The Stars didn’t come alive until the third period, when they were behind 2-1. Dallas had 33 shot attempts to Arizona’s 10. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Stars generated 21 scoring chances, 14 high-danger chances and 2.5 expected goals in the third period alone.
Robertson missed an open net by glancing a shot off the post and through the crease. Wedgewood stopped John Klingberg’s one-timer from the slot, and went post to post to deny Robertson. After Heiskanen danced through to test Wedgewood and draw a penalty, Ryan Suter’s rebound bid was cradled. Alexander Radulov whirled a backhand shot just wide.
The Stars controlled the puck during the third period. Wedgewood spoiled the push.
“I think our intensity went up, everyone’s urgency,” Robertson said. “We can’t go down by one and start getting urgent. We have to [do] that from the start.”
Heiskanen: “I think we were skating more, and played more with the puck. We didn’t play very well in the first two. We have to be at our best when the puck drops, and we weren’t. That’s why we lost tonight.”
Sometimes, hockey happens.
It would be better if it didn’t happen against the conference’s worst team on a sleepy Sunday. And it would be better it didn’t happen on another night when the Stars failed to generate any offense outside of their top line.
Goalies get hot, shooters get cold. Teams win games they shouldn’t, and lose games they shouldn’t. Sometimes, the Stars beat Colorado in Denver. Sometimes, Scott Wedgewood happens.
“This is hockey,” Robertson said. “Goalies get hot and kudos to him.”
The Stars just could have done more to avoid leaving their fate in the hands of the Hockey Gods.
Lindell’s soft play along the boards cost the Stars a goal. Dallas was outshot by Arizona in each of the first two periods. For the fourth straight game, the Stars failed to score an even-strength goal that wasn’t from their top line. The last one was Benn’s third-period goal vs. Winnipeg nine days prior.
With a win, the Stars would have closed within two points of Nashville (with one game in hand) for the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, setting up Thursday’s game in Nashville as a big one. Wins over Colorado and Chicago on this road trip made a run at the Predators seem feasible, even if it felt far-fetched at the break.
But, Sunday’s effort in Arizona ruined that, and added to the list of what-ifs to look back on as the Stars push toward a playoff spot.
What if they hold leads against Vegas (twice), St. Louis and Calgary? What if they don’t get swept by Ottawa and lose at home to Montreal? What if they don’t give away two points on Sunday in Arizona to sour what could have been a promising trip?
“Two wins, two really important wins,” Heiskanen said. “Of course, we wanted and need that last one, but we didn’t get it. Two first games were good. Have to play better than what we did today.”
PK streak ends: The Stars penalty kill successfully killed 17 straight penalties before allowing Nick Schmaltz’s goal with 2:55 left in the second period. Prior to Schmaltz’s goal, the last power play goal the Stars gave up came on Jan. 28 against Washington, when Tom Wilson and John Carlson each scored for the Capitals.
The Stars killed 24 straight penalties from Nov. 20 to Dec. 14.
The Coyotes power play entered Sunday ranked 27th by scoring 2.13 goals per 60 minutes of power play time.
