For the second straight game the Dallas Stars blew a two-goal lead, giving up a late game-tying goal with the opposition goaltender out of the net. But unlike the last one, there was no dramatic finish for the Stars and no victory. That went to the Ducks, who got a power play goal from defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky with 3.8 seconds left in overtime to beat Dallas 4-3.
“It’s tough to lose one like that when you’re up 3-1 going into the third period,” said Stars forward Loui Eriksson. “It’s a bad feeling when you lose, especially when you lose like this.”
The Stars led 3-1 after two periods but the Ducks scored twice in the third, including a goal with 1:03 remaining to tie the game and force the overtime.
“We made a couple of mistakes that we just have to correct,” Stars coach Marc Crawford said. “I mean that’s twice now that we’ve gotten scored on with the goaltender pulled and both have been errors on our part as opposed to good plays by the opposition. I’m not trying to take anything away from the Ducks. Obviously they battled hard and got the puck to the net. That’s definitely something we’re going to have to clear up.”
But the Stars did get a point out the game, which helped them climb back into the top eight in the Western Conference standings.
“That’s a big point for us, even though we gave up a point,” said Crawford. “It’s a big point for us. As of right now we’re in the playoffs and we just have to keep moving forward.”
But the Stars did get a point out the game, which helped them climb back into the top eight in the Western Conference standings.
“That’s a big point for us, even though we gave up a point,” said Stars coach Marc Crawford. “It’s a big point for us. As of right now we’re in the playoffs and we just have to keep moving forward.”
The loss snapped the Stars’ winning streak at three games and gave them a 1-0-1 record in the first two games of a four-game road trip that continues Saturday night in San Jose.
“We’ve got a chance to come back tomorrow night to make up for it, redeem yourself or get it out of your mind,” said forward Adam Burish. “For about the next hour or so you’re going to think about it, be upset about it, but part of being a good pro is forgetting about it and moving on.”
The Stars got off to a sluggish start in the game, falling behind 1-0 as Visnovsky scored the first of his three goals on the night with the two teams playing four-on-four.
The second period belong to the Stars, who outshot the Ducks 14-5 and scored three times to take a 3-1 lead. Alex Goligoski set up Jamie Benn off the rush early in the period to tie the game. Burish scored from the right circle off the rush to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. And Loui Eriksson deflected a Stephane Robidas shot into the net with the Stars on the power play late in the period to make it 3-1 Dallas.
Visnovsky scored on the power play early in the third to make it 3-2 and then the Ducks tied it with 1:03 remaining when Ryan Getzlaf set up Teemu Selanne, who redirected the puck past Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen.
“The first period they were all over us, we played much better in the second and in the third period we kind of sat back too much,” said Robidas.
Ducks goalie Dan Ellis made a spectacular save with his glove on Trevor Daley with the Stars on two-on-one in overtime to keep it a tie game.
Then the Ducks got a power play with 24.6 seconds left in overtime when Stars forward Tom Wandell was called for hooking. The Stars, who had won in Phoenix Tuesday on a power play goal with 4.8 remaining regulation, were victimized in this game by a Ducks power play goal with 3.8 seconds left in the extra period.
Visnovsky scored his third of the night, taking the puck after a faceoff win by Getzlaf with 7.4 seconds remaining and beating Lehtonen with a slap shot.
"You have to believe and get the feeling as a team that you’re going to come back, “Selanne told Anaheim media after the game. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. That is what happened tonight."
It was the second straight dramatic win for the Ducks, who beat Detroit on a Bobby Ryan penalty shot in overtime on Wednesday night.
There was no dramatic finish for the Stars on this night, just the feeling they let a point slip away.
“We played a solid game through two periods and gave them a couple easy goals,” said Wandell. “Stupid penalty in OT and they have a strong PP. That’s about it.”
But there’s no time for the Stars to dwell on this one. They play at San Jose Saturday and more valuable points are at stake.
“Every point is so big right now, like you see in the conference,” said Eriksson. “We have a game tomorrow and we have to go out and win and get two points there."
Richards misses eighth straight game
Stars center Brad Richards, who is out with concussion-like symptoms, missed his eighth straight game. He was still experiencing symptoms after practicing with the team on Thursday and did not skate Friday. The Stars will see where he is on Saturday.
Defenseman Nicklas Grossman missed his eighth straight game with a hip injury. He is listed as day-to-day.