The Stars had their chances in Saturday's game, but once again finishing was an issue. For the fourth time in five games during the homestand, the Stars scored two goals or fewer. Mistakes proved costly at the other end of the ice. A turnover led to one Pittsburgh goal and the Penguins broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with a shorthanded tally.
"It seems like we had really costly mistakes, whether it was game management, puck management, and game awareness," said Stars coach Jim Montgomery. "To give up a shorthanded goal when it's 2-2 in the third period, the urgency to recognize danger just wasn't there."
The Stars gave up the first goal in all five games during the homestand. They had a couple of good chances to take the early lead, but Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray turned away quality looks by Joel L'Esperance and Roope Hintz. The Penguins got the first goal of Saturday's game by taking advantage of the game's first power play when Jake Guentzel scored on the rebound of a Phil Kessel shot at 15:25 of the first.
The Stars tied the game 1-1 early in the second when Alexander Radulov set up Tyler Seguin who score from the right circle with the Stars on the rush. The Penguins had a goal waved off at 5:24 of the second period for goaltender interference, challenged the ruling and lost.
The Penguins did take the lead nine minutes later when Kessel stole the puck from Roman Polak behind the Dallas net and set up Jared McCann, who scored from the slot to make it a 2-1 game at 14:41 of the second.
The Stars drew even on a goal by Andrew Cogliano, who roofed a shot from the left circle on the rush with 1:20 left in the period. That snapped a 20-game goal scoring drought for the Dallas forward.
"It's obviously important to contribute what I can," Cogliano said. I have been working hard and doing what I can, and I think I bring elements to the team that is helping, and I have brought with my experience. Hopefully, I can continue that."
Just 10 seconds after the Cogliano goal, Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin stopped a point-blank bid by McCann to keep it a 2-2 game going into the third period, where the Penguins scored the only goal.
With the Stars on a power play early in the period, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger knocked the puck past Stars defenseman John Klingberg in the neutral zone to set up a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush and then set up McCann, who scored off a spinning backhand shot to make it a 3-2 game.
"I knew there was going to be a 2-on-1 but I tried to get the puck first, and he chipped it over my blade and then it's a 2-on-1," said Klingberg. "I tried to make the best out of it, but the puck went in, and it is what it is right now."
Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray had big stops on Seguin and Radulov to keep it a 3-2 game, and then the Stars couldn't connect on a late 6-on-4 power play with Khudobin out of the net for an extra attacker.
"We had plenty of opportunities to score on the power play and tie it up coming down the stretch, and your best players got to lead you there," said Montgomery. "Just like they get the credit when we beat Florida, they also have to be the guys that take ownership when things don't go well on the power play, and we lose momentum, and we lose a hockey game.
"That was costly tonight."
