Saturday's game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars had all the makings of a great game from the start. Chicago of course is the reigning NHL Stanley Cup champion and the Blackhawks' offense has really been firing on all cylinders of late, scoring at least five goals in five of their previous seven heading into Saturday's game at American Airlines Center.
But the Stars were also riding high after a three-game sweep on a road trip to the Eastern Conference last week, a trip that included two wins in the shootout, over Ottawa and Boston and the third win coming in overtime at Detroit.
And for most of the first two periods, the Stars hung in with the Hawks, trading goals and blows like two prize fighters battling for a title. However, in the end, Chicago was just a little bit better as the reigning champs who only got one power play the entire game, cashed in on that lone opportunity when Patrick Kane scored just before the second intermission, a goal that was the eventual game-winner.
It was an especially bitter way to lose, especially since the Stars went on the power play six times in the loss, giving them ample opportunity to change the complexion of the game with just one goal with the man advantage but it just didn't happen.
Now the Stars' first goal, which was scored by Cody Eakin, came just two seconds after they got off the power play so it could technically be considered a PP goal, but in the numbers, Dallas remains 0-for-24 this season on the power play at the AAC, something first-year head coach Lindy Ruff is more than aware of.
"Again, it had some real good opportunities but didn't convert. That could have been a game changer when the game was right there," Ruff said after Saturday's loss.
But the new Stars coach wasn't all negative when discussing the setback to the Blackhawks which snapped his club's three-game winning streak. Instead, he went into some detail about all the good things his team did for much of the game.
"I thought we did a lot of great things in the game. I thought we had more puck possession. I thought we outskated them. I thought a lot of times outworked them. They were a little smarter than us," Ruff said.
And seeing the Dallas' penalty kill come up short against the vaunted Chicago power play, a unit which has made mincemeat out of plenty of PKs across the league over the past few years, wasn't a big shocker. However, it was shocking to see the Hawks' kill, a unit which ranked dead last in the NHL heading into Saturday's game, keep the Stars' PP off the board entirely.
However, the reality is that the Stars now head back out on the road, which has seemingly been a familiar refrain so far this season-play one at home, then two or three on the road and then repeat.
Dallas' latest trip is to western Canada where the Stars will face the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday, the Flames at the Saddledome on Thursday and finish up the trip on Sunday at Vancouver. The Stars' next home game is Nov. 21 against the New York Rangers.
In the end, Ruff chalked up Saturday's result to something that might make Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, who once uttered the immortal words of "that's just the way baseball go" smile in summing up his club's loss to the reigning champs.
"In the end, we gave the game away. It happens," Ruff said.
But the fact the Stars measured up with the Blackhawks for much of Saturday's game showed this thing is headed in the right direction and if Dallas can continue the good road form they showed last week in Ottawa, Boston and Detroit, then this could again be a team on a nice run heading into their next home date at the AAC with former Star Brad Richards and the Rangers in just under two weeks.
