Burnside: Five takeaways from Stars' 5-3 loss to Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Dallas Stars saw a modest two-game win streak come to an end Friday in Anaheim as they were dumped 5-3 by the playoff-bound Ducks in the Stars' second-last game of the regular season.
Here are some meanderings and ruminations on the eve of the end of a disappointing regular season.

1. Two teams, two directions

This played out just about the way you might have imagined if you were simply following the standings. The Stars were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday and the Ducks are headed to the postseason for the sixth straight season and still have a shot at home ice in the first round.
The Ducks scored on their first shot on goal, scored in the final minute of the first and, basically were one, two, three steps ahead of the Stars for most of the night.
What do you take away from a game like this?
"Not much," offered Stars defenseman Marc Methot, who scored the first goal of the game -- and his first of the season -- for the Stars to make it 2-1 just past the midpoint of the first period.
"They're in the playoffs and we're not. We're trying to play for pride, and I'd like to think that everyone's putting in everything they got here to finish it off, at least for the organization, for the fans. I don't know that maybe we were all in tonight, but that's the nature of the beast at this time of year. It's tough and we have move forward now and worry about tomorrow."
Another defenseman, Greg Pateryn, also raised the notion of playing for pride and how the onus is on players to challenge themselves to play that way, including through Saturday's finale in Los Angeles against another team headed to the playoffs.
"I mean it's tough -- it's frustrating at times, but I think, at the end of the day, we signed a contract to play all 82 games," said Pateryn, who drew the primary assist on the Stars' second goal, a deflection by Radek Faksa in the second period.
"And I think no matter the position, everyone has something to play for, and I think that's something that each guy has to find, especially in this last game. We've got to go out there and find something to play for. There is a job and a contract and it goes right around the room."
Head coach Ken Hitchcock wasn't as willing to simply suggest one team was good and the other was not.
Not quite.
"It's hard to evaluate, I don't think you can put it all on that," Hitchcock said. "But they look liked a team that was getting ready for the playoffs, that's what they looked like. And we looked like a team that still was trying. They had details in their game that we didn't have, and that part, I'm sure, was disappointing for everybody."

2. The clock ticks to midnight

Maybe you had a feeling it was going to be one of those nights when the first shot Dallas netminder Mike McKenna faced -- a deft little redirect by Jacob Silfverberg of a Josh Manson pass -- found the back of the net.
Just over four minutes later, Rickard Rakell went untouched through the Dallas zone and scored on the power play and the dye was cast as McKenna suffered a loss in his first start as an NHLer since Feb. 16, 2015.
McKenna, 34, earned the start Friday based on his strong work ethic and sharp play coming on in relief of an injured Kari Lehtonen late in the first period of a 4-2 Dallas win over the Sharks on Tuesday. He didn't allow a goal against San Jose in getting his first win since Dec. 23, 2013.
But the magic would not be repeated on this night, even as he made a handful of sparkling stops to keep the Stars within hailing distance until an Andrew Cogliano goal on a breakaway with just over five minutes to go in the third made it 5-3.
"We were behind the eight ball to start," McKenna said. "We just never dug our way out of it. Not the way we wanted it to go."
He took no solace from some of the stops he made.
"That's pretty optimistic," he said. "I mean, I allowed five goals. Disappointed we didn't win the game more than anything. It's what we're here for. There's room for improvement."
Teammates agreed McKenna deserved a little better.
"Yeah it would have been nice to get him a better result," Methot said. "I think he's a great guy in the room. He's a good character guy. He's been around the league and both leagues for a long time, and he's paid his dues.
"It's great that he has an opportunity here to play a couple of NHL games. I mean, (we) didn't get the job done for him, but that's the game."

3. On to the Kings

Not much time for the Stars to lick their wounds or feel sorry for themselves as Game 82 looms on the horizon just up the road in Los Angeles.
Lehtonen is expected to start Saturday in the Stars' season finale in a game that could be his final game as a Star as he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
As for the Kings, they will represent a similar test, and they will, likewise, be motivated as they can also move up in the standings in the Pacific Division.
"We know that it's a very similar game," Methot said. "They're heavy up front. They play a good puck possession down low, and defensively, I think they're pretty strong, too.
"We have our hands full, we know that. And (if) you take a game off, they'll embarrass you, so we better be ready."

4. Funny how one thing leads to another

So, we have spent a lot of time since the Stars have been eliminated from playoff contention discussing the young players, their evolution and what they might take from this moving forward.
Well, it's been a difficult season on many levels for Brett Ritchie, who has seven goals, and -- in spite of regularly appearing on the Dallas power play and regular stints playing with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn -- went 21 games at one point this season without one.
But apart from the offense, there have been times where Ritchie has found himself taking penalties that put his team in a hole. Such a moment occurred late in the first period Friday.
After falling behind 2-0 early, the Stars had climbed back in it with a Methot goal and were actually taking the play to the Ducks. But with 2:54 left in the first, Ritchie came across the ice in the Dallas zone and cross-checked Rakell in the numbers as Rakell was pursuing the puck.
Easy call.
And while the Stars killed the penalty, they never regained possession of the puck after the kill. And with 20 seconds left in the first, Derek Grant redirected home a shot that had already been tipped by Jacob Silfverberg to make it 3-1, Anaheim.
Killer.
This isn't to suggest Ritchie shoulders the burden of this loss (see below), but it is a valuable lesson on cause and effect.

5. Leaders lead ... unless they don't

Ritchie didn't need to feel all that bad about the penalty because early in the second period, Benn was whistled for cross-checking Ondrej Kase in the back in the neutral zone.
Senseless.
The Stars killed that penalty, but once again, the Ducks seemed to gain momentum from the power play and scored a minute after the expiration of the Benn minor.
On this night, the Stars took the first four minors of the game. Along with Ritchie and Benn, Alexander Radulov (slashing) and Seguin (tripping) went to the box. Not exactly what you expect from three of your top four offensive players.
Benn did score on a nice rising shot to make the score 4-3 early in the third period, but he also sailed a couple of prime scoring opportunities high and wide -- something that has marked his game this season.
Radulov was in the box when Rakell made it 2-0 early in the first.
Later, it was a blind back pass from Radulov that started the play which led to a Josh Manson goal early in the second that made the score 4-1. Manson scored while being pursued by Radulov on the play.
On Tuesday, it was Benn who led the offensive charge in the Stars' come-from-behind win, scoring three times, including the winner.
Friday, there was no one to step into the breach.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Scott Burnside is a senior digital correspondent for DallasStars.com. You can follow him on Twitter @OvertimeScottB, and listen to his podcast.