So the Stars came into this game on a 10 game winning streak against the Canucks, and undefeated after team dinner at Stars owner Tom Gaglardi’s Vancouver home. And, unfortunately for all of us, that is where the streak ends.
The Canucks have won one game of the last eleven and only five of fifteen games this season. Through two periods they looked like they were completely caught off guard by everything the Stars threw at them. And then came the third. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.
There was a lot of action early in this tilt. Almost right off the opening face off, Jamie Benn was called for interference when finishing a check, but the Canucks were unable to get a shot off on the power play, despite actually spending quite a bit of time in the Stars end.
The most exciting span of the first period was the 45 seconds between 5:43 and 6:25, when three goals were scored in 42 seconds. The first, a garbage goal from Patrick Eaves, who cleaned up a rebound from behind Ryan Miller. The second was Bo Horvat on a breakaway and the Canucks’ first shot of the game. And then, Lauri Korpikoski extends his goal streak to three games with a goal off a 2-on-1 rush with Radek Faksa.
A late penalty to Brett Ritchie gave the Canucks another shot at a power play, but it also resulted in two really good short handed chances for the Stars, which they were unfortunately unable to capitalize on.
The second period didn’t have as many goals as the first and was therefore not nearly as exciting as the first. Jordie Benn missed a wide open net and a golden opportunity, but also stopped a goal on a wide open net at the other end, so that evens out.
Patrick Eaves scores off a feed from Tyler Seguin and Antoine Roussel. I wasn’t sure how splitting up Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin was going to look, but it’s been a beautiful decision so far.
I’d rather not relive the third period at all, but I probably should since this is the recap.
An unfortunate turnover from Jamie Oleksiak gave Loui Eriksson the puck right in front of the Stars goal. John Klingberg took a hooking call that really shouldn’t have been a hooking call and Brandon Sutter scored on the ensuing power play to even it up at 3.
The second line scored their third of the night as Antoine Roussel put home a feed from Tyler Seguin to bring the Stars ahead, but unfortunately the Canucks tied it up again. Twice.
Alex Burrows scored a goal by pushing Lehtonen’s pad into the net with his stick. Dallas challenged and won because it turns out you can’t actually do that. But then, just as the Canucks pull their goalie for the extra attacker, Troy Stecher scores from the point.
And while you can say Oleksiak shouldn’t have turned the puck over and there were definitely some defensive breakdowns and that power play goal probably went in off Johnny Oduya’s stick, the Canucks scored five hole on Lehtonen twice this game.
The Stars haven’t won in overtime this season and the Canucks haven’t lost, and nothing about that changed here.
So this is where we leave you. The team that couldn’t buy a goal coming into this game scored five on the Stars. Four goals should be able to win you a game, guys.