Heika's Take: Stars unable to match Ducks energy, drop on second night of back-to-back

In a strange way, Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to Anaheim showed just how impressive the Stars have been on the second night of back-to-back games for the past two seasons.

After a win in Los Angeles on Monday, Dallas was hoping to improve on a league-best record of 14-3-1 on the second night of back-to-backs (including 6-1-0 this season). Instead, the normal demons of diminished energy and wobbly focus spilled all over the ice at Honda Center and made the lads in Victory Green look tired and disheveled.

“Tonight, they came out with a lot of jump and we didn’t have our legs, and we didn’t execute,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said.

Dallas received stellar goaltending from Casey DeSmith, as it has in these situations for the past two seasons, but that wasn’t enough. A Ducks team trying to shake out of an 0-7-1 slump was faster, fiercer, and smarter.

“They came out desperate right from the start and they were all over us there,” said defenseman Alexander Petrovic. “Casey was unbelievable for us tonight, it could have been a lot worse.”

The game was tied at 0-0 until three minutes into the second period when Chris Kreider scored for the Ducks. Dallas had only put seven shots on goal up at the time, so it was clear the Ducks were in control. Part of the reason was the fact the Stars played an intense game the night before. Part of the reason was that leading minute defenseman Miro Heiskanen had to fly back to Texas to deal with a personal issue.

With Heiskanen out, Thomas Harley played 29 minutes and the rest of the defense had to step up, as well. That created some issues with puck possession and zone time, and put a ton of pressure on DeSmith.

“We have extra D and just mixed around our pairs to try to find a matchup,” Gulutzan said. “That’s the first time we’ve played without him this season and you could feel it. But that wasn’t the issue. I felt we could have done some things better, especially early.”

Tthey looked to have low energy compared to the hungry Ducks, and also seemed to lack the physicality needed to win battles.

“They were jumping us and out-quicking us. They were winning their races and battles. When you don’t have your step and a team is hungry like they are, it’s tough,” Gulutzan said. “We had a hard game last night, and we have to be ready for those moments. Every team in the league is desperate for points.”

The Ducks move to 23-21-2. The Stars fall to 27-11-9, so there still is a big difference in the standings. Still, Dallas is 2-5-4 in its past 11 and needs to find some traction.

“As of late, we’re struggling to sustain our game,” said Sam Steel. “We’ve seen bits and pieces, but we’re trying to find something we can put on the table every night.”

Dallas did end strong, holding an 18-13 advantage in shots on goal in the second half and getting a Roope Hintz goal off a pretty assist from Matt Duchene to cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the game. But they need to use that momentum to end this six-game trip strong on Thursday in Utah.

“It’s going to be important,” said Gulutzan. “That’s another team that’s desperate for points. The league is getting tighter and tighter and we’ll get some rest and get up for that one.”

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.