What Went Wrong For The Dallas Stars?

In a series that mirrored the Eastern Conference Final, the Dallas Stars were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Oilers stomped the Stars in three games in a row to take the Western Conference Final and send the top seed in the Western Conference packing.

The Stars were the team to beat in the Western Conference. They went 52-21-9 and were great across the board to secure the best record in the conference. So, what went wrong?

They Were Outdueled in the Net, Go Figure

The one thing that looked like a safe bet heading into the series was the goaltender. The Stars had the edge in the net while the Oilers had a clear weakness at the position. Stuart Skinner was sure to turn into a pumpkin. He never did, saving 143 of the 155 shots he faced and blanked 34 of the 35 shots in Game 6.

Jake Oettinger meanwhile, struggled in this series. He allowed 16 goals on 161 shots and in Game 6, the game that mattered most, he allowed two goals on only 10 shots. 

It’s wild to think that the Oilers won with their goaltending. However, it’s not the only crazy thing about how the Oilers took over this series against a great Stars team.

Special Teams Made All The Difference

If this series was played exclusively on five-on-five, the Stars would be the team playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 5 saw the Oilers score two power-play goals to win 3-1 and Game 6 saw them score both their goals on the power play to win 2-1. The thing is, hockey 

The Oilers stepped up when they were on the power play, especially later in the series. They scored four goals in 11 opportunities with all four of their goals coming in the final two games. The Stars meanwhile were hapless throughout the series, going 0-14 in the six games. 

In a series with plenty of close games, two of which were decided by one goal, this was the difference for the Oilers and allowed them to advance. The Stars meanwhile will kick themselves all offseason knowing they failed to take advantage of the extra skater on the ice.

The Stars Didn’t See Their Stars Show Up

When the series began, the elite players came to play. They were leading the way for the Stars and it explains why they had a 2-1 series lead through three games. Then they were a non-factor. 

Jason Robertson, who had 29 goals and 51 assists, didn’t do much in the series. Wyatt Johnston, who scored a team-leading 32 goals this season and 10 in the playoffs couldn’t find the back of the net. Miro Heiskanen, who scored six goals and 10 assists in the playoffs didn’t add a spark from the point.

Add that all up and the Stars ended up looking lifeless in the series. The offense scored 10 goals in the first three games but only four in the final three games. When it mattered most, the offense couldn’t do anything.

What Comes Next For The Stars?

This loss stings considering the number of veterans on this roster. Joe Pavelski is 39 years old and this might have been his last chance to win the Cup. The same goes for Ryan Suter who is 39 and Jamie Benn, Chris Tanev, and Matt Duchene, all of whom are 33 or older. This was their best chance to win it all and they came up short.

They have a great team with a talented young core in place to make them competitive year in and year out. But they won’t look the same next season. That’s going to make this playoff exit hurt. The Stars must turn over part of the roster to be back and with that, some aging skaters might be on their way out.