DALLAS _ During a two-minute span in the third period of the Stars' 3-1 loss to Colorado on Thursday night, the sounds were unmistakable. The thud off Philipp Grubauer's pads. The snap of John Klingberg's broken stick. The ping of Tyler Seguin's shot off the left post.
Each time the Stars tried for a goal, something stopped it. And most of the time on Thursday night, it was Grubauer.
Grubauer made 44 saves in holding the Stars to one goal, and handing them their third loss in their last four games. Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie scored for the Avalanche to lift them to a pivotal win. Seguin scored with 5:01 left in the third period, snapping a nine-game goal drought to cut the Colorado lead in half.
Dallas couldn't find the equalizer.
A win for the Stars would have given them ample cushion over the Avalanche in the Western Conference playoff chase. Dallas entered the night six points up on Colorado, and a Stars victory could have buried the Avalanche in the rear view mirror. Instead, a loss kept the Avalanche kicking and pushed the Stars four points back of St. Louis for third place in the Central Division.
The Stars finish their five-game homestand Saturday night when they host the Penguins before embarking on a four-game road trip through Western Canada.
Grubauer was fantastic in stoning the Stars for most of the game. He denied Alexander Radulov in the first period on a feed from Seguin. He stopped Jamie Benn multiple times during the same third-period power play that Klingberg broke his stick on and Seguin rang a post. And he held on against Radulov again in the third period.
Scoring has been an issue all season for the Stars. They have the third-worst offense in the league, but have survived thanks to one of the best defenses in the league that limits chances from the slot and goaltending that has Ben Bishop in the Vezina Trophy conversation.
On Thursday night, Bishop came up huge on a breakaway against Nathan MacKinnon but was beat twice from the circle by Colorado defensemen. Johnson slapped a one-timer from the left circle past Bishop, while Barrie wristed one from the right circle.
Despite the loss, the Stars remain in good playoff position.
They are five points ahead of Minnesota for a playoff spot, and have one of the most lenient schedules down the stretch. Dallas faces only three current playoff teams the rest of the season _ the next three games _ and plays Minnesota in the final game of the season.
Plus, the Stars are done with Grubauer and the Avalanche. Dallas finished the season 1-3-0 against Colorado.
