DALLAS - For about 50 minutes of Saturday's game with the San Jose Sharks at American Airlines Center, it looked like the Dallas Stars just might end their six-game winless streak and head out on their two-game road trip to Arizona and Los Angeles on a positive note.
But as has seemingly been the case a lot so far in this young season, the Stars blew another third-period lead, this one a 3-1 edge as the Sharks scored four unanswered to stun a crowd of 17,023 and cap a winless homestand for Dallas.
"We've got to learn to play with a lead," said Dallas captain Jamie Benn. "It really shouldn't change from the first or the second. We got a lead playing the right way, and we need to just learn to play the same way."
Dallas stormed to leads of 2-0 and 3-1 after Tyler Seguin scored a natural hat trick, the sixth of his NHL career.
However, San Jose, who was starting a seven-game road trip, cut it to 2-1 late in the first period on a goal by James Sheppard.
The Stars led 3-1 after two but the gritty Sharks chiseled away at that lead, cutting it to 3-2 when Patrick Marleau scored a power-play goal 3:51 into the third.
Hulking defenseman Brent Burns then scored the next to for San Jose, giving the visitors their first lead at 4-3. Sharks captain Joe Thornton then added a late empty-net goal and the Dallas collapse was complete.
"I wish I had the answer. We need to get better," Stars defenseman Trevor Daley said. "We're not getting the job done. That's tough."
This was a game where second-year Stars head coach Lindy Ruff shuffled his defensive pairs, a big change which worked well for about the first 40-50 minutes.
But in the end, this one ended like so many others have recently for the Stars on home ice, where they are now 1-3-4, in disappointing fashion.
In fact, this current seven-game winless streak is the longest for the Stars since March 17-30, 2009 when the Stars went 0-5-2 in what proved to be the final year under Dave Tippett.
And Ruff admits this current skid is something he has never witnessed before.
"I've never seen anything like this," Ruff said. "Frankly, I don't know how to answer."
However, considering that most of their struggles have come on Victory Avenue, maybe heading out on the road, where Dallas is 3-3-0 so far this season, isn't the worst idea in the world.
"We've got to go on the drawing board, move on and get ready for this road trip," Seguin said.
