The Dallas Stars fell to 0-2-1 on their current four-game homestand and dropped to the .500 mark on the season after being on the receiving end of an 8-1 shellacking by the powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks at the American Airlines Center last night. If not for a couple point-blank early saves by Kari Lehtonen and a breakaway stop on Patrick Kane by Richard Bachman in the third period, the Blackhawks would easily have hit double-digit goals in the game.
The Dallas goalies never had a chance in this game. The Blackhawks were able to crash the net, set up screens and tee up point blank chances at will, and the Stars' beleaguered team defense did little other than watch Lehtonen and then Bachman get picked apart.
Of the four goals that Lehtonen allowed, there was only one (a partially screen Johnny Oduya shot from just over the blueline) that was potentially stoppable. The others were deflection and point-blank rebound goals by Jonathan Toews and an outnumbered rush where defenseman Nick Leddy was able to skate to the net untouched and jam home a puck.
When Bachman took over, it was more of the same. Marian Hossa worked a give-and-go with Patrick Kane on a four-on-four with none of the Dallas forwards backchecking and defensemen Stephane Robidas and Brenden Dillon forced to constantly retreat as the Chicago duo hit the blueline with speed. Hossa added another goal on a 5-on-3 power play when he ripped home a well-orchestrated one-timer from the medium slot.
Duncan Keith inflicted some further damage early in the third period and then Kane did his best Denis Savard impersonation, humiliating both Dillon and Bachman with a spin-o-rama backhander off the rush.
Trevor Daley's power play goal broke up Corey Crawford's shutout bid in the third period. Dallas also lost a would-be goal to a goalie interference penalty.
In a game where the Stars had to produce their A effort to simply hang tough against what has been the best team in the NHL this season, Dallas instead failed to compete. There was no price for Chicago to pay to gain operating room, and the Hawks took full advantage. Offensively, the return of Jamie Benn to the lineup did not provide the hoped-for spark the Stars needed on this night.
The Stars will wrap up their homestand on Monday against Calgary and then set out on the road for back-to-back games in Colorado on Wednesday and Los Angeles the following evening.
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