Heika's Take: Stars lose in shootout, but continue to battle each game

The tug-of-war continued for the Stars Tuesday in Winnipeg.
Dallas got down early, rallied back late, and lost in a shootout to the Jets, 4-3. It was a microcosm of the 2021-22 season, as the Stars continue to search for consistency, but also continue to battle no matter what the situation.

"The first period was even, the second period they won, and we won the third," Stars coach Rick Bowness said in summing up the game. "They're a good team, too, they're a good team. So are we."
While Dallas isn't ecstatic with a 3-4-2 record or with the fact it's one of just two teams in the NHL that hasn't won a game in regulation yet, it's satisfied that there are baby steps being taken. Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson each scored their first goals of the season. Roope Hintz almost scored his first, but had the marker erased on an offside call. John Klingberg continues to find his stride after missing three games with a lower-body injury. And Tyler Seguin scored his third goal of the season.

For a team that was really seeking some offensive support from its best players, this was a pretty good game.
Yes, they hit a wall in the second period and really struggled to get the puck out of their own end - as they've done for too many long stretches this season - but they bounced back and answered the call in the third period. It was incomplete. It was inconsistent. It wasn't enough. But it was a sign that there's something better inside that dressing room.
"I think we worked hard in the third period and found a way to tie that thing up," Benn said. "It's never good going into the third down two, but we battled back and found a way to get a point."

And that really is a good thing right now. The Stars were coming off a 4-1 loss to Ottawa on Friday and had three days between games. They're starting a three-game Canadian road trip that has games remaining in Calgary and Vancouver, and they're balanced in a place where things could go in either direction. So, when they allowed the first goal 10:29 into the first on a trickling puck that eluded Braden Holtby, there was the chance for some negative thoughts to creep in.
Benn tied it up off a nice pass from Seguin, and that brought a boost of energy because Bowness had put Benn and Seguin back together again. The first period actually looked pretty good when you consider it was a road game against a divisional rival who moved to 5-2-2, but then the ol' bugaboo of consistency crept up in the second period.

Robertson got nailed with a roughing penalty late in the first, and the Jets scored on the power play 32 seconds into the second period. Hintz then appeared to tie the game a few minutes later, but his goal was erased because he was offside by just an inch or so.
That seemed to sap a ton of confidence and momentum from the team, and Winnipeg started dominating. The Jets controlled the puck, earned another power play and took a 3-1 lead 7:23 into the second period.
It could've been worse if not for the play of Holtby, as Dallas clearly struggled while getting outshot 17-8 in the middle frame.
"It's disappointing for us, obviously," Klingberg said. "We need to stay within our game for longer times. We know we're not going to play perfect for 60 minutes, but we need to find ways to control the momentum better and be better for 60 minutes overall."

That message was delivered in the second intermission, and the Stars came out and were the better team in the third period. Dallas drew a power play and scored when Robertson went hard to the net to clean up a rebound. They then tied the game when Klingberg was incredibly patient at the point, and then fired a shot that Seguin tipped in for his third goal of the season.

That play was huge, and it showed just how talented the team can be. Klingberg's ability to wait for the sea to part and slip a shot through was impressive.
"I work on it almost every day. It's something I've done for a lot of years, it's part of my game," Klingberg said of the point shot that included a few pump fakes along the way. "You obviously work on parts of your game you can get better at, well, I feel like you need to work on stuff that you're really good at, too, so you know when you get in a game and you get a chance, you've got to be comfortable doing it. So almost every day I'm trying to do a little bit of that."

The timing was perfect, as the Stars gained a big boost and regained a lot of confidence. They were outshot 4-1 in overtime and lost in the shootout when Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele both scored, while only Joe Pavelski was able to score for the Stars.
Still, they rallied back to earn a point, and they know now they can hopefully take the next step.
"Yeah, I think we can build from that, kinda play that way from the start of the game," said defenseman Esa Lindell. "You know, we haven't been that good at the starts, and that's something we can improve."

If they do, then maybe the tug-of-war could be a little easier next time.
"I was very encouraged by the third period," Bowness said. "I always say when you lose in a shootout, you don't lose the game, you lose the skills contest. So, for 65 minutes, we played them even."
And learned a few things in the process.
"We had some really good looks in the third, so I was encouraged by that," Bowness said. "We know we can do better, and we take the point and move on to Calgary."
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.