If the Stars were focused on a better start to their games, they certainly had one Thursday night.
Up against the high-scoring Anaheim Ducks, Dallas flipped the script. Instead of going down two in the first period, forward Wyatt Johnston knocked two pucks in two power plays to give the Stars the lead early in the game.
But the Ducks had other plans.
Not to be outdone, Anaheim entered the second period swinging. Within three minutes, the Ducks’ evened the score after a power play goal from forward Chris Kreider and a five-on-five goal from defenseman Ian Moore — his first ever in the NHL.
The Stars responded, in the form of Tyler Seguin. The forward, who had never scored on Anaheim in his career, broke that curse and slid one past Lukas Dostal.
Head coach Glen Gulutzan had emphasized the importance of playing freely after Tuesday’s game against Edmonton. While it may have happened in the first, the rest of the game got away from Dallas.
“We gave up seven,” Seguin said. “So we’re probably all a little too free, and (should) tighten back up.”
That lead did not last long. Cutter Gauthier nailed a snap shot that soared past Jake Oettinger and put the Stars down again. During an Anaheim power play after Alexander Petrovic’s tripping penalty, Olen Zellweger piled on another point for his team that put them ahead 4-3 going into the second intermission.
Kreider kept Anaheim’s momentum going in the third period with an early goal, but Mikko Rantanen wasted no time answering with a power play goal that sliced the Ducks’ lead in half.
With the score sitting at 5-4, the power plays rained down. Anaheim elbowed Mavrik Bourque, Rantanen slashed a Duck and Thomas Harley took a high stick that sent Dallas back on the power play that forward Leo Carlsson managed to score shorthanded on.
Desperation set in for the Stars, and with an extra attacker on the ice, forward Roope Hintz scored. It was not enough, and Mason McTavish slid a puck into the empty net and sealed the game 7-5 for the Ducks.
“They’re a good team. But you got to stop that momentum a little quicker than we did. That is the biggest thing for me,” Gulutzan said. “We had a couple chances if you watch the tape to change the momentum a little bit, and we didn’t. We kept forcing and it cost us.”
The Stars will take a trip to Nashville Saturday to play the Predators at 2:30 p.m. CT, looking to bounce back from this loss.