If Stars don't squash slow starts, their season might be history

The Stars have a history of slow starts, and if they don't change it soon, their season might be history.

Dallas on Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to Calgary allowed the first goal of the game for the eighth straight time. Now, four of those games were back in March, and coaches and players will tell you that's just too big of a gap to draw any comparisons. However, they have gotten off to slow starts in all four games in the bubble, and they have been able to win just one.

On Tuesday in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series with the Calgary Flames, the Stars actually had some strong numbers and had a chance to at least tie in the final minute. However, they dug themselves a 2-0 hole in the first period, and that just isn't a formula for victory.

"I think we need to be good right away," said defenseman Miro Heiskanen. "We weren't good in first period, so we've got to be ready right away when the game starts. That's the reason why we lost today."

Dallas was facing a Calgary team that beat Winnipeg in four games in its best-of-five play-in series, so it had already geared up to tougher competition. Dallas played three round-robin games for seeding purposes, so when the puck dropped on the "real" playoffs -- the ones where you have to win or go home -- it was an adjustment.

"We've been talking about this for a while that we would be playing a team that won a playoff round and was basically playoff ready," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. "You can talk about it all you want, but we weren't on our toes consistently enough early, and they were. That team is a very confident team right now, and we were a half a step behind early, and it cost us."

Bowness has said in the past that every game is different, and that just because his team allows the first goal doesn't mean it had a bad start in that game. He noted on Tuesday that the Stars hit the post on an early chance and then took a penalty and put the Flames' power play on the attack. When Dillon Dube scored off a nice pass from Milan Lucic, the Stars were once again in a hole.

Now, the Stars have rallied before and did just that Sunday in beating St. Louis in a shootout. In fact, they have 14 wins in the regular season when allowing the first goal of a game -- that's fifth best in the NHL. That said, they also have lost 19 times when allowing the first goal. Bottom line, it's tough to come from behind.

Dube scored his second goal of the game on a beautiful rush around Andrej Sekera, and the Stars were firmly in a hole. But as they have done so many times this season, they came back with a flurry of goals.

Denis Gurianov slipped a shot off a Calgary defenseman to tie the game in the second period, and then Jamie Benn's shot deflected in nine seconds later to make it a tie game at the 11:01 mark of the second period. Just like that, the slow start was erased, and Dallas was ready to compete for a Game 1 victory.

The problem is they could have had the lead. The problem is they could have been in control of the game. Instead, they continued to make puck-handling mistakes and coverage mistakes, and they fell behind 3-2 when Rasmus Andersson flipped a shot that deflected in off the stick of Sekera and over the shoulder of Anton Khudobin for the eventual game-winner at 16:01 of the second period.

Now, blaming the loss on the slow start when there was so much time to make things up doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Bowness stresses competing for 60 minutes and having to win it in the final minute if that's what it takes.

But the Stars simply wasted too many chances, and that hurt in the end. The coach said the offensive problems too often come down to the players inability to finish plays.

"It's unfortunate that on some of our best chances, we missed the net," Bowness said. "Guys are walking in and missing the net from the slot. Those pucks have got to go on the net. We had a three-on-one in the third period to tie it up, and we don't score on that. The opportunities to tie the game were there, and they were either missed nets or missed opportunities."

Tyler Seguin returned from missing two of the round-robin games. He played 16:28 and didn't record a shot on goal. Bowness said that was technically true, but that Seguin had two great scoring chances and didn't put his shot on target.

"Seguin walked in in the second period, had a Grade A opportunity, and missed the net. It's a scoring chance, but it doesn't register as a shot on net," Bowness said. "Listen, these guys are pros and there's only so much we can do - which we'll do everything we can - and they've got to give back, too."

Likewise, the players say the slow starts fall on their shoulders.

"I wish we had some answers. It is what it is," said Corey Perry. "We have to be ready when the puck drops. Everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror. It's on us."

While Sekera added: "It's up to us guys on the ice to make it happen, so everybody has to do something to get ready for the game. We have to learn from it and be ready for the next game."

Which is a pretty important game with the team down 1-0 in a best-of-seven series.

Notable

Game 2: Stars vs. Flames (CGY leads 1-0)

Thursday, 9:30 p.m. CT

Where:Rogers Place, Edmonton

TV:FOX Sports Southwest, NBCSN

Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Video: Bowness: Slow start costs Stars in Game 1 defeatis a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter Video: Bowness: Slow start costs Stars in Game 1 defeat, and listen to his Video: Bowness: Slow start costs Stars in Game 1 defeat.