Shellshocked.
I’m pretty sure that’s the word to use here. Why couldn’t the Stars have been chasing the game the whole night, maybe pulled close to make it interesting, but ultimately come up short after a good effort? Instead they took multiple two-goal leads, gave up two goals in the final three minutes of regulation, both with Frederik Andersen and Jonas Hiller sitting on the bench, and then lost in overtime when Kari Lehtonen forgot where the goal was. As far as soul-crushing defeats, this one ranks pretty high up there.
Which is why I plan on completely forgetting it.
Hey! What a season this young Stars team had! Weren’t they fun to watch? Didn’t they exceed all ‘realistic’ expectations in how they overcame adversity and still found a way to reach their goal? Wasn’t everyone beyond stoked to finally see Defending Big D covering playoff hockey? Weren’t those two victories in Games 3 and 4 beautiful to behold? And are we not all already looking forward to what should be an even better season for Stars’ hockey next year?
On another note, I finally figured out who my second team in the Playoffs is. Whoever’s playing Anaheim.
* * *
There are no recaps for the Stars-Ducks game last night. I looked everywhere. They don’t exist. Trust me. Don’t try to find them yourself.
St. Louis? Paging the St. Louis Blues? Where the hell did the Blues go? [St Louis Game Time]
Ryan Miller, the ‘missing piece’ for the Blues’ run at the Stanley Cup struggled. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? [NHL.com]
Let’s stop getting down on St Louis though, and instead celebrate the Blackhawks delayed sweep of the Blues. [Puck Daddy]
Philadelphia are going to win in Philly, and then we’ll go back for Game 7 in New York. I’m telling you, NBC execs have already written the script for this one. [NHL.com]
Alright, so Eastern Conference, whatever right? Except I’ve got to admit I’m a little excited about the upcoming Boston Bruins–Montreal Canadiens second round matchup. If for no other reason than it means the Habs blogs are gonna be fun reads. Exhibit A: “The Most Despicable Boston Bruins of All Time” [Eyes on the Prize]
And lastly, the Stars’ season may officially be over, but at least we will always have this: