It’s hard to fathom the Dallas Stars’ minus-22 goal differential, but if you need an explanation, look to nights like these.
The advantage should have been on Dallas’ side. The Penguins were closing off a back-to-back set and likely expended quite a bit of energy trying to come back against the Islanders last night.
Instead, the Penguins were the team that pulled away, dropping three third-period goals on the Stars for a lopsided 6-2 decision. As much as people look for the good in this for the Stars, it’s not the greatest sign when you see quotes like these:
“I haven’t had much fun the past few weeks, losing so much and giving up a lot of goals,” Marc-Andre Fleury said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “That was a fun game to play.”
Look, this is a “child’s game” these guys are playing ... but yeah, it’s usually not a great sign when the opposing team is talking about how much they enjoyed facing you. Sidney Crosby’s happy to face just about anyone these days, scoring his 16th goal in just 18 games:
That goal almost feels a little symbolic, doesn’t it?
The Stars are now under what you might call .500 (9-10-6), with three straight losses and just two wins in their last seven games. The scary part is that things have often been even uglier than that disappointing record.
Pittsburgh and Crosby are just the types to shine a light on those issues, too.