Young Dallas Stars reached goal of making playoffs before cruel collapse ended season

DALLAS - The young Dallas Stars began this season hoping to make the playoffs and end a franchise-record post-season drought.

They can't let the cruel collapse in a Game 6 overtime loss diminish what was accomplished in their first season with coach Lindy Ruff.

The Stars have a bunch of young 20-something players who got their first playoff experience, including captain Jamie Benn, Cody Eakin and Alex Chiasson. Stars scoring leader Tyler Seguin, traded to Dallas last summer after three playoff appearances in Boston, is only 22.

Dallas, in the playoffs for the first time since 2008, was close to forcing a Game 7 in the first round against top-seeded Anaheim. But the Ducks scored twice in the final 2:10 of regulation Sunday night and scored on the only shot in overtime.