DALLAS _ Systematically and deliberately, the Stars squeezed the life from the Blackhawks during a 2-1 win over Chicago on Sunday afternoon, erasing the memory of Friday's blowout loss to the Blues and reminding onlookers the rigidity with which they play.
Like so many other times this season, the Stars were simply the best team on the ice.
"That's much more like Dallas Stars hockey tonight, the 2-1 mentality and not giving them a whole lot (when you) take the power play chances out," Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness said. "That's more like our game, not giving them the odd-man rushes and limiting their chances."
Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars, who received 31 saves from Anton Khudobin. The Stars have now won six of their last eight games.
Sunday was a contrast of styles between the Stars and Blackhawks. Chicago likes to get out on the rush, flying out of the defensive zone and willing to trade chances with their opponent rather than lock down their own zone. Dallas, meanwhile, is one of the stingiest teams in the league and it's led them to nearly the top of the Western Conference.
After not playing up to their standards Friday against St. Louis, the Stars could have faced an issue Sunday against a team that shut them out the last time the two teams met in November. Instead, they made the Blackhawks play Stars hockey.
At 5 on 5, the Stars outshot Chicago 32-20 and held a 30-12 edge in scoring chances and 13-1 edge in high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
"I felt like it's been worse the other times we've played them," Stars forward Mattias Janmark said. "I think today was a pretty straight game from both teams, both played a pretty good game."
The Stars weathered a second period in which they were called for four penalties, handing the Blackhawks four power play opportunities. Dallas killed three of them _ Dominik Kubalik scored during a 4 on 3 _ setting up Seguin's eventual game-winner at the end of the second period.
Despite allowing a power-play goal, the Stars penalty kill killed four penalties for the first time since Feb. 4 against the Islanders.
"They're all legitimate calls," Bowness said. "They're bad penalties by us. I thought the penalty killers did a great job to (only) give up a 4 on 3. Against a skilled team like that, you can live with that. The rest of the way, they took a lot of perimeter shots and the penalty killers did a great job tonight."
Janmark said: "As a penalty killer, as soon as you get a penalty, you want to be out there and be the one who kills it off. So we all approached it that way, and I think we did a pretty good job."
