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Stars Win 6-1 Against Boston

After a very demoralizing 5-0 loss on Friday night, the Stars are back in the American Airlines Center again for a tilt against the Boston Bruins, who are on the third game of a three-game road trip.

The one thing the Stars have truly been this season is consistently inconsistent. But! They have yet to lose three in a row on home ice. Puzzle out what that means. The Bruins have had a more successful season and are currently holding on to the second wild card spot in the East.

First Period

The Bruins exploded out in the early part of this game, maintaining most of the pressure in the first half of the period. About six minutes in, Boston had a fantastic 3 on 2 chance due to a turnover in their zone but Jake Oettinger denied the goal.

Oettinger absolutely on top of his game in the first period, but it would probably be better if the Stars allow him to be tested so much. The defense has a habit of hanging the goaltender out to dry, which is less than ideal, to put it mildly.

The offense in the first was everything you’d want from a team we all watched lose 5-0 on Friday.

A little under seven minutes in, the Bruins passed the puck right into Jamie Benn’s skates and it bounced out to Denis Gurianov, who skated up ice on a breakaway with Tyler Seguin. Gurianov slid the puck past two sliding Bruins and found Seguin, who tipped the puck in around Linus Ullmark.

This is Jamie Benn’s first point (the second assist) in eleven games. The goal galvanized the Stars’ offense and they caught up to the Bruins in shots on goal.

With just under five minutes to go in the first period, the Bruins turned the puck over in the neutral zone. Esa Lindell picked it up and shot it over to a streaking Alexander Radulov, who found the back of the net.

It’s Radulov’s second goal of the season and his first in 34 games, his last coming in a loss against the Las Vegas Golden Knights back in October.

Shots: Dallas 11, Boston 10
Goals: Dallas 2, Boston 0

Second Period

Just under three minutes into the middle frame, Steven Fogarty had a wide-open net but tried a spin move to get the puck back on his forehand and ended up shooting the puck right into Oettinger’s pads.

The second period was really a repeat of the first with the Stars allowing a few too many golden opportunities to slip past their defense. Oettinger next denied Pastrnak from the slot.

The Stars then proved once again that they love a scramble in front of the net. Jason Robertson whiffed on a wide open net and bounced the puck off the side boards. Miro Heiskanen shot the puck on goal and was originally credited for the score but it was later deemed that Luke Glendening redirected.

Just about two minutes later, a pass from Seguin from behind the blue line found Benn right on the doorstep. Benn elevated his shot over a diving Ullmark.

This was the end of the night for Ullmark who was pulled for Jeremy Swayman.

The period closed out with a penalty each for the Stars and the Bruins, though both teams only managed a single shot on goal with the man-advantage.

Shots: Dallas 20, Boston 18
Goals: Dallas 4, Boston 0

Third Period

The Bruins went to the box early in the third for a holding call against Derek Forbort.

With the puck cycling in front of him, Swayman bit to the left, following the puck, but John Klingberg passed over to a wide open Roope Hintz, who found the net behind Swayman.

Unfortunately for Oettinger’s shut out, the Bruins ruined that 54 seconds later on a goal from Craig Smith.

The Stars got another power play opportunity off a hooking call against Brandon Carlo, but the Stars did not manage a shot on goal and instead allowed a golden 3-on-1 opportunity that Klingberg helped break up.

Tyler Seguin scored his second of the night in the last minute, and Radulov followed closely behind with a bounce off the top bar.

Tyler Seguin turns 30 tomorrow and there isn’t a better way to end your twenties than 2 goals in a blowout.

The best part about this blowout is the complete lack of turtling by the Stars. They went up two in the first and never stopped trying to score.

Shots: Dallas 29, Boston 26
Goals Dallas 6, Boston 1

The Stars are back on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, last game before the All Star Break. Puck drop will be 7:30 pm CST.

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