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Tuesday’s game between the Stars and the Carolina Hurricanes was a chess match.

In the end, the Hurricanes made one more correct move.

Carolina took a 2-1 win at American Airlines Center when it answered the Stars’ tying goal in the third period with a goal of its own 24 seconds later. It was a sore spot for the Stars, who have shown a tendency to allow goals on the next shift after their own score.

“It was a playoff-type game,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Neither team was really given much room or opportunities. We’ve been in those games in the playoffs and it’s usually the first team that finds a way to get a goal wins. I thought we had the better opportunities, especially in the second period, but they found the first goal.”

The first two periods were a study in strong, defensive hockey. Both organizations are known for the details, and that showed as each side had sticks in the lanes, were tight in the neutral zone, and denied the front of the net. Shots on goal were 13-11 Carolina after two periods, and the Hurricanes were sitting on a 1-0 lead.

Carolina (29-16-3) did a good job controlling the puck in the offensive zone, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi snapped a shot over Jake Oettinger with three minutes left in the period for the all-important first goal.

“You’ve got to pick your spots,” said defenseman Thomas Harley, who scored the Stars’ only goal. “They’re a good team. They play their system really well. It’s tough to create any sort of offense on it. When you do, you have to capitalize on it.”

Dallas pushed back hard in the third period, with a 12-6 advantage in shots on goal, and several great scoring chances. The Stars had some great opportunities early, as Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque each were foiled in trying to get the first goal. Then, Wyatt Johnston did a great job carrying the puck to the net and sliding it into the crease. There, Harley was able to tap it in for the tying goal at the 10:11 mark.

That brought all sorts of energy to the sold-out crowd, but then Kotkaniemi struck at the 10:35 mark with the game-winner. Defenseman Sean Walker carried the puck to the net and slid it in front. The puck deflected off of the skate of Kotkaniemi and into the net. Oettinger called it a crummy bounce, and said that is the hard part of a close game like this.

“We finally got one, we got momentum on our side,” Harley said. “To come out and give one up like that is really tough. It hits Oettinger and just bounces off their guy. It's just part of the game, but obviously we’d like to have that one back.”

DeBoer has talked in recent weeks about being ready after your team scores.

“The disappointing part is that next shift,” the coach said. “We get out of position, we leave the zone a little bit early, and they get it right back. Those are playoff-type moments where you have to recognize the importance of the next shift.”

The Stars are now 0-13-0 when trailing after two periods, a strange stat for a team that was very good at mounting comebacks last season.

“I don’t have an explanation for that…Joe Pavelski? I don’t know,” DeBoer said of the veteran forward, who retired after last season. “It’s a little bit like some other things, the power play, where you’ve got to feel that confidence. You’ve got to get one in that situation, and then you feel comfortable going forward. We haven’t gotten one. We’ve come close or the goalie has made a big save this year instead of it going in.”

DeBoer compares the game vs Carolina to a playoff game, discusses recent challenges.

Dallas is now 29-17-1 (59 points). It is getting its first two-day break in three weeks as it just finished playing nine games in 15 days. The Stars went 5-4-0 in that span, so they are picking up points. They were also without injured forwards Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment and Roope Hintz for most of that span. Hintz returned from an upper body injury and played 19:20. He had three shots on goal and went 7-1 in the faceoff circle.

“It was nice to have him back,” DeBoer said. “I thought he had some juice and some energy, we missed him.”

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

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.

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