DALLAS---In what continues to be a terrible start at American Airlines Center, the Dallas Stars dropped another one on home ice, losing 3-1 to the defending NHL Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings at the AAC on Tuesday night.
Dallas' winless streak now sits at five games and the Stars are just 1-1-4 on home ice.
But it wasn't just losing by two goals to the Kings, a team that was looking to avoid going winless on their five-game road trip that was disheartening, it was also the fashion in which the Stars fell yet again at the AAC.
In a game that was tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, the Kings erupted for a pair of goals in the third period, one from Dustin Brown and an insurance tally from Kyle Clifford, blitzing Dallas in their own barn to head back to the City of Angels with their first road win of the season.
Dallas has now been outscored 16-8 in the third period this season and the Stars are just 1-3-1 when tied after two periods.
And against the Kings, the Stars committed 19 giveaways, two of which led directly to LA's final two goals of the night, a definite point of contention for second-year Dallas coach Lindy Ruff as he addressed the media postgame.
"Some of it is just puck management. When I look at the sheet and I see 19 giveaways, we're not going to win hockey games," Ruff said. "That's where I have to change the mentality. That's my job. Enough of the pond hockey. Enough of open plays."
The Stars also struggled on the power play, finishing 0-for-4, which puts their home PP at 5-for-29 on the season.
Dallas generated a total of four power-play shots, a total which Shawn Horcoff, who scored the lone goal of the night for the Stars, 2:37 into the game, knows isn't good enough.
"It's frustrating. Power plays are cyclical," Horcoff said. "There's times when it's fantastic, and there are times when you think you're not going to get another goal for the rest of the year."
But the game wasn't a total wash for Dallas as Tuesday did mark the season debut for veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, out since the middle of preseason with a fractured ankle.
"I thought he was good defensively. He had a good opportunity to walk in," Ruff said of Gonchar's performance against LA.
Tuesday also marked the return of fellow Russian Valeri Nichushkin, the talented young forward who has missed Dallas' past nine games with a hip/groin issue.
"I though Val skated well. His hands weren't where we needed them. He had a couple tough plays, maybe a tough play on the third goal," Ruff said. "I didn't know what to expect. He missed a lot of hockey. There was times I thought he really skated."
Another positive is that the Stars won't have much time to wait to atone for this two-goal loss at the AAC. That's because the three-game homestand continues for Dallas on Thursday against the current Central Division-leading Nashville Predators.
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