Dallas lost 5-3 to the Utah Hockey Club Saturday night to close out the regular season at home on a sour note.
The final homestand was a winless 0-2-1 stretch that was part of a five game losing streak as the season nears the end.
Dallas now has two more road games left to try and secure a win before the postseason starts, first in Detroit Monday and in Nashville for the regular season finale Wednesday.
The first round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup between Dallas and Colorado is set in stone, and both teams rested starters knowing that their places were secured. Dallas had already locked up home ice in the first round, and a Winnipeg win over Chicago guaranteed the Stars finishing second and Colorado third in the Central Division.
Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley sat out for maintenance and Mason Marchment missed the game due to flu like symptoms.
It was apparent that Lindell and Harley, both integral parts of the penalty kill, were missing. Utah scored four power play goals against the otherwise top ranked penalty kill in the NHL in their absence.
Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson scored for Dallas, which is no surprise based on their two seasons. But the surprise came with Brendan Smith's first goal of the season, a shorthanded tally to go ahead 2-1 in the second period. The Stars allowed the tying goal on the same power play, however.
Casey DeSmith has now lost three games in a row over the past week. After his stellar play earned him a rotating spot with Jake Oettinger down the stretch, DeSmith played well but could not overcome porous defense from the Stars and make enough saves to steal a win like had in several prior games. What he did provide, though, was vital rest for Oettinger over the final stretch of the regular season, hopefully giving the starter enough time to get fresh for a long playoff run.
Jamie Benn appeared to score his long-awaited 400th career goal to make it 5-4 with under a minute to play and the Stars playing with an empty net, but the goal was waived off for goaltender interference.
Dallas now heads to Detroit for a Monday night game. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CDT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Stars Welcome Utah HC To Town For Season Finale
Petrovic Gets The Nod As Stars Are Set To Battle Utah HC
Stars Continue Extend Rough Patch With Shutout Loss To Winnipeg
Stars Forward One Step Closer to Return
- Follow Taylor on Twitter: @THN_taylor
