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

The Dallas Stars continue to struggle against Central Division rival Winnipeg, dropping their third straight contest of the season to the Jets by a 5-3 score on Saturday night.
Here are some meanderings and mutterings on another sobering loss to one of the best teams not just in the Central Division, but the entire National Hockey League.

1. Got the start, how about the middle?

How long have we been harping on the inability of the Stars to get off to a good start? Too long. And yet, on this night, there was Tyler Pitlick snapping home a perfect shot after a clean Radek Faksa faceoff win in the offensive zone just 10 seconds into Saturday's game.
And really, for most of the first period, the Stars were exactly where they wanted to be against the Jets. It was just the second time in 13 games the Stars had scored in the first period.
But heading into the second period with that one-goal lead, the wheels came off in a big way as they gave up a 4-on-4 goal 49 seconds into the middle frame after Jamie Benn had negated a Dallas power play with an offensive-zone hooking penalty.
In a matter of 11 minutes, 10 seconds, the Jets scored three more times, chasing netminder Kari Lehtonen and putting it on cruise control en route to a third straight emphatic victory over the Stars this season.
In all, the Jets blasted the Stars for five straight second-period goals on just nine shots.
"They're a (freaking) good team," an unfiltered Alexander Radulov offered after the loss. "There is no doubt they're a good team, and they showed it today. It was a good test for us, and some point, we bail and we've got to face that on Monday. Watch some video and regroup and play the right way all 60 minutes.
"We can't play like we did the second period -- all of us. Turn the puck over, let them play their game in the second period, and you see what happens."

2. A hard lesson learned

The narrative coming into this game was that the Stars had become a team that could play with the big boys of the Western Conference. They were coming off two strong games against such teams -- Anaheim and Los Angeles -- and the Jets would provide yet another test.
After beating the Stars handily 5-2 and 4-1 early in November, this would be different, no? No.
"Nope. I guess not," echoed defenseman Marc Methot. "I mean, they beat us three times now. We've got work to do, and I think we know it, and if anything, maybe another learning experience for us as a group.
"They're one of the best teams in the NHL. You want to measure up to that team and know you belong. … We've got to get better, and it's a good wake-up call for this group."
The good news for the Stars is that they only have to play the Jets once more -- in the regular season.
Still, if there is anything to be taken from this loss, it's that if there was any kind of comfort in the Stars room at having moved into that elite status, it should be stripped away and reinforced the need for full attention to the process.
"We were in a position to take a big step," Hitchcock said. "We didn't take it. We could have really taken a step today the way we played in the first period. They made us pay for every mistake. They have skill and speed, and it shows itself off the rush. Our scoring chances are mostly off the grind and they were able to make us pay off the rush.
"We gave up a breakaway, ended up being a penalty shot. We ended up giving two 3-on-2s that ended up in the back of our net."

3. Big boys came to play -- again

If there has been an over-arching theme of the three losses to the Jets this season, it's that their top players have feasted on the Stars.
Mark Scheifele scored the only power-play goal of the night, and it marked the sixth goal Scheifele has netted against Dallas this season.
Patrik Laine was a beast on this night, scoring twice in the last half of the second period. He was also awarded a penalty shot after being slashed by Greg Pateryn when he found a seam and broke in alone down the right side.
Dustin Byfuglien had three assists. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists.
The Stars? Tyler Seguin scored in the final minute of the second period to make the score 5-2 and Radulov scored with 46.8 seconds left in the third. Not exactly meaningless, but given the circumstances, pretty close.
Dallas captain Jamie Benn struggled on this night, taking the penalty in the first minute of the second period that nullified a Stars power play and led the 4-on-4 goal that tied things up. He was then was caught flat-footed just outside the Stars' blue line on the first Laine goal that made it 2-1.
In all, Benn has gone without a goal in nine straight games and has one in his last 13.
Benn spoke for less than a minute after the game, but he pointed out that this is a reminder that the Stars have not necessarily closed the gap with the Jets.
"They're a good team and we've got to get up to their level," Benn said. "We've got work to do. "

4. Offense in short supply

In recent days, it seems the best chance for success for the Stars is when their goaltender is outstanding and they sneak in a goal or two for the victory.
It was so on the recently completed Western road trip, where the Stars went 1-2-0, coming up their only win Thursday in Los Angeles, 2-0, with Lehtonen pitching a shutout. The week before, it was Ben Bishop stoning the Blues in a 2-1 win.
But over the past six games, the Stars are 2-4-0 and have scored nine goals. In two of those losses -- against San Jose, and now, Winnipeg -- their goals came well after the game was out of sight. And while getting timely scoring from the big boys is going to be required at some point, so, too, is the depth scoring.
Pitlick provided a dose of that early Saturday, but even when the game was still salvageable, the rest of the Stars lineup could not provide sustained pressure or find that needed goal to stem the Jets' flood.
Gemel Smith, for instance, had a nice chance in close late in the first period and was denied by Michael Hutchinson, making just his second start in goal for the Jets this season.
Mattias Janmark, in the opening moments of the third, also had a good chance off a rebound that Hutchinson somehow managed to coral. And shortly after, Pitlick had another good opportunity from a sharp angle.
"When things go well, everybody goes well. Smetimes during the season, these things happen," Radulov said when asked about the offense. "We're in a tough spot right now, and we know that. And it's a good test for us -- it's a good thing that we've got to battle through, and not win not one, but two (or) three in a row against good teams.
"There is no easy games this time of year, we've just got to know that. Enough talking. We've just got to play hard, that's it."

5. Power play woes

It's not so much that Dallas isn't scoring on the power play -- it went 0-for-4 with the man advantage Saturday -- but that the lack of production comes at crucial times in games.
The team is now 1-for-18 over its last eight games. On Saturday, it was given a power play in the final minute of the first period, and not only couldn't capitalize on the first part, then had Benn cut short the carryover at the start of the second period.
Early in the third, with the score 5-2, the Jets were called for too many men on the ice. But the resulting power play was ineffectual.
It is something Hitchcock insisted the team will figure out, but it begins and ends with the pace of the power play.
"We're too slow. We're too slow. Everything we do is too slow. We'll figure it out," Hitchcock said. "I think it's a collective group thing. It's just, it's too slow. It's too slow under pressure, it's too slow on rotation, it's too slow of making decisions. Everything's just too slow."
Is it a question of personnel or mindset? Sounds like more a mindset.
"It's a fine line between slow and casual, so somewhere between slow and casual that's where it is," he said. "But we've got to correct, we've got to solve this. It's like night and day from what it was at the start of the year, and it's just got to change.
"When you're putting top players out there, you've at least got to scare the living hell out of the opposition, and we're doing nothing but giving them confidence right now."
This story was not subject to 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.