Advertisement

sportsStars

Stars have lived on the border of almost winning and losing — a trend they’re already continuing

Dallas lives for tight, one-goal or overtime affairs. In Pittsburgh, they took it one step further.

PITTSBURGH — Maybe this is just how it goes for the Stars.

Low-scoring? Check. Good goaltending? Check. Tight game? Check.

Maybe the Stars will have to get used to more games like Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout win in Pittsburgh, which sent Dallas back home after a season-opening four-game road trip with a 2-2-0 record.

Advertisement

“This is how tough the league is,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “We could have got points in all four games. We could have gone 0-4. That’s how tough the league is. That’s how tight the league is. Did we play well enough to get points in four games? Yeah. So we’ll take the .500.”

Sports Roundup

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more.

Or with:

Tuesday’s win resembled the closest thing to a complete game the Stars have submitted so far in the young season.

Outside of a Pittsburgh push in the first seven minutes of the second period, the period-long lulls that have sprouted up too often for Dallas in the first week were absent. The scoring chances were there for much of the game, forcing goaltender Tristan Jarry to keep Pittsburgh in the game. The breakouts were smoother. The offensive zone time was there.

Advertisement

Stars goaltender Braden Holtby continued his strong start to the season by stopped 27 of 28 shots to earn his first win for Dallas. After three starts, his save percentage is .947 to go with a 1.75 goals-against average.

Michael Raffl scored his second goal in as many games, and Alexander Radulov scored the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout.

“I think the good thing is we haven’t gotten sucked into other team’s game plans,” Holtby said. “I think that’s a big positive. It’s early on, there’s always going to be things you want to get better at. But that’s good. If you’re perfect at the start, it’s hard to maintain that.”

Advertisement

This Dallas team knows about close games. For the last two years, the Stars have practically lived on the border between almost winning and almost losing. Last season, only one team played in more one-goal games than Dallas. The year before, only two teams did.

Of the team’s first four games, three have been decided by one goal. The fourth was only a two-goal game after an empty-netter.

Close games strangled the Stars last year, especially in overtimes and shootouts, where they lost 14 times. This year, their only two wins have come with extra time.

“There’s a lot more coming, that’s how tight the league is,” Bowness said. “We’ve been able to practice [overtime and shootouts] this year a little more, which we’ll continue to do. We didn’t practice it at all last year because of the schedule.”

It’s not a coincidence that these Stars play tight games. They are built to restrict scoring chances. They have been one of the league’s worst even-strength offenses the last few seasons. They have relied on special teams and goaltending at various points to carry them through previously.

It was a recipe that came together serendipitously during the 2020 run to the Stanley Cup Final. During a shortened and injury-plagued season in the spring, it sunk the Stars’ playoff chances.

Playing nail-biters the entire season is a lot to ask of a team, even one as veteran as these Stars are. But it just may be what the Stars have to get used to (again).

“I still think we’ve got lots more,” Raffl said. “We’re a better team than what we’ve shown on this road trip. But it’s also early in the season and good things are to come, hopefully.”

Advertisement

Quiet again: During Tuesday’s second period, Bowness broke up the Stars’ top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Radulov. They began together for the fourth straight game but have just two points among them (one assist apiece for Benn and Radulov).

Bowness moved each to a different line during the second-period jumble. Seguin centered Joel Kiviranta and Luke Glendening. Benn centered Tanner Kero and Denis Gurianov. Radulov flanked Jacob Peterson and Roope Hintz.

“Didn’t like the first line,” Bowness said. “Didn’t like the Seguin line, so we had to change it up.”

Advertisement

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.