When the Stars "win ugly", as they have been wont to do this season, we shrug our shoulders and we say "Two points is two points. Move on." So naturally we might put losses in that same category. The severity of the thing be damned, just move on to the next one.
Call me crazy, but these last two losses are of a different kind. I'm going to put them to bed and let them be here in just a second, I promise, but let's spend just a quick second on trying to put 14 goals against in two games into perspective because I think we were all gaping at the television the other night in shock and confusion. The sensation was...ineffable. "This just doesn't happen to the Dallas Stars," I thought. "Ever."
That would have been a good time for the starspr twitter account to come up with some nifty stats to compliment our viewing experience. Some of you have commented that it's like "Pop-up Video" for Stars games. (Seriously, it's awesome. You should follow that account.) Of course one can't expect these kinds of stats directly from a team so we have to dig them up ourselves...
In the last ten seasons, starting with 2000-2001, that's 787 NHL regular season games, the Stars have allowed...
Six goals in a game: 25 times.
Seven goals in a game: 4 times.
Eight goals in a game: 1 time. (See the box score here. An 8-0 defeat at the hands of the Kings in 2001.)
This research is not guaranteed accurate ;) **
Thus confirming my suspicion. Surrendering seven is not something Stars fans see very often. Four times in the last 787 games. I would go back further but you get the point. I had to go back all the way 10 years to find the eight goal game. The other seven goal game was also against the Kings, a 7-2 defeat at the AAC in October of 2005 that I had the displeasure of witnessing in person.
Given the stellar defensive play of the 99-2000 and 98-99 teams, I feel pretty confident that we can add another 164 games to that total and claim the Stars didn't give up seven goals in those seasons either, making this even more of an aberration.
So something that has happened only once in nearly a thousand NHL games has happened three times in their last 12. Stranger still is that in the 9 games between the allowances of seven, the Stars allowed a total of only 16 goals. (1.78 GA/G)
Needless to say the Stars, in the researched period, had never given up a total of 14 goals in two games. They hit 12 a few times but never 13 or 14. As such, if you're looking for all-time worst three game stretches of defensive Dallas hockey it stands to reason that any goals scored by EDM tonight will probably put this trio of contests up near the top.
And now I am done with those two games, I promise. Let's get on with life.