Wash, rinse, repeat: Familiar frustrations bite Stars in loss to Chicago

DALLAS -- So there's this horse, see, and he's dead, see …
Well, at least it seems that way for the Stars right now.
For the umpteenth game this season, Dallas had control of the even-strength play, had plenty of scoring chances, and simply couldn't convert in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. If ever there was a season where the beating of a fatally wounded equine was a consistent storyline, then this is it.

And if that thread was weaving through a series, it would be against the Blackhawks. Dallas had 30-16 advantage in shots on goal and a 59-37 edge in shot attempts. The Stars once again topped 20 scoring chances. In the four games against Chicago this year, Dallas has a 133-102 advantage in shots on goal and has looked like the better team for long stretches.
In that regard, there has to be some positive feelings.

"The fight just got a little harder, but we are still in the fight," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We have four more games with [Chicago], so they are now crucial. Not that they weren't crucial before, but they are more crucial now."
In the four head-to-head meetings so far between these two teams, Chicago has six points and the Stars have four. That makes a difference when both teams seem to be fighting for the fourth playoff spot in the Central Division.
Tampa Bay, Florida and Carolina continue to win and put space between themselves and the other five teams in the Central, and that means that with more than half of the season remaining, the battle really does seem to be for fourth place.
Bottom line, Dallas is 8-9-5 with 21 points and Chicago is now 14-9-5 for 33 points. That's a 12-point spread in the standings and the Stars have six games in hand because of COVID and weather delays. If they win all six of those games, the 12 points will allow them to catch the Blackhawks.
Of course, if they win the four remaining against Chicago, that also can make a difference. But what they really need is to simply start winning any games. Dallas has just three wins in their past 15 games, and that has become incredibly frustrating. They have played well in a lot of game -- just like Thursday -- and come up with nothing to show for it. And that gets in your head.

"We've just got to stick with it," said forward Blake Comeau. "We're not giving up a whole lot, to be honest with you. That was the case tonight. It seemed like they'd shoot it, and it would go in. We had some great looks, some pucks that just didn't seem to find the way in the first two periods and we were down trying to chase the game in the third."
On Thursday, Dallas had a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal in the first period and still was down 1-0 after 20 minutes. Three minutes into the second period, that became 2-0 on a power play goal by the Blackhawks. Time after time, Chicago made the big play and Dallas did not.
"Well, we are trying. If it doesn't go in it doesn't go in," Bowness said of the battle to score goals. "They had two even-strength shots on net after 40 minutes and they were up 4-0. We had some grade-A's that didn't go in. We had a breakaway that didn't score, and they scored on their's. The power play was awful. The penalty kill wasn't good enough."
The goaltending too was lacking.
Anton Khudobin looked shaky at times allowing four goals on eight shots, and on the other end of the ice, Stars players were foiled time and time again by Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen. The 25-year-old Finnish goalie has allowed three goals on 65 shots against the Stars this year, and that's one of the big reasons Dallas hasn't been rewarded for its work.

As it has been in previous game, the Stars came back and put up a good fight with two goals in the third period. Roope Hintz continued his hot run, while John Klingberg scored for the second game in a row, but it was too little too late.
Can the Stars finally solve the problem for good? Well, they did have 15 goals in their previous three games.
"Listen, it's not an easy fix, but it comes down to when you get those opportunities, it's the individual with the puck making the right call and making the right decision, and hopefully he will beat the goalie," Bowness said.
Jake Oettinger came on and played the third period, stopping eight shots, and that might give a heads up to who might start Saturday when the Stars play at Columbus. Either way, Dallas has to have an answer. The Blue Jackets aren't one of the top three teams in the division, and to be as blunt as possible, the Stars need to start collecting points if they want to make those last four games against the Blackhawks mean something.
"We have four more games with them, but regardless of all that, the only thing that matter is clearing our heads up and get ready for the Saturday afternoon battle," Bowness said. "It will be tough games in Columbus. Right now, the (playoff) positioning can't be the focus. The focus has to be on getting ready to play Columbus and doing everything we can to win that game."

Up next

at Blue Jackets; Saturday 4 p.m. CT
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
TV: FOX Sports Southwest
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.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.