Much like the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Dallas Stars are red-hot even if their playoff hopes have already been scuttled. The difference is that the Stars dominated a team with at least something to lose.
(You know, beyond dignity, which seems to be beaten out of the Toronto Maple Leafs.)
The Anaheim Ducks came in with the mighty goal of locking up the top spot in the Western Conference on Wednesday, but the Stars instead handed them a 4-0 loss.
While Ryan Getzlaf sat out a second game - either to rest or to nurse an undisclosed injury - the Stars’ big names came through. Jamie Benn stood out in particular, grabbing three assists to finish the night tied atop the NHL scoring ranks with 83 points.
Jhonas Enroth grabbed his first shutout as a member of the Stars. To be honest, he wasn’t tested all that often, only needing 19 saves to accomplish that feat. It was a tough night at the other end of the ice, as Frederik Andersen didn’t exactly make a strong argument that he should be the go-to goalie instead of John Gibson. At least, he didn’t tonight.
With this, the Ducks must continue to jostle with the St. Louis Blues for the West’s top spot while Dallas keeps things going (while maybe wondering a bit about what could have been).