Final SO
Dallas Stars 1 – Phoenix Coyotes 2
Even when they outplay their opponents, Dallas just can’t find a way to win these late season games. They drop another one tonight, suffering a shootout loss 2-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes. Dallas was aggressive throughout the game, tallying 45 shots, but they just couldn’t get that extra goal past Ilia Bryzgalov who stopped just about everything and didn’t give up rebounds.
Kari Lehtonen played a good game for Dallas, stopping 26 shots, but he was just outdueled on this night. Dallas did gain a point on Chicago, who lost 3-0 to Boston, so they are three points back of the Blackhawks with a game in hand.
6 of the past 9 games have been decided by either 1 or 2 goals. The Stars have lost all 6 of those games, a horrible sign for a team that is trying to compete for the playoffs. It just doesn’t look like this is a playoff ready team because they just can’t win these high pressure games.
Dallas’ next game is Thursday, March 31 against the San Jose Sharks. Dallas has a 3-1-1 record against San Jose this season.
1st Period:
This game started out with a good pace, both teams look energetic from the onset. Dallas had trouble in the first 4 minutes getting the puck out of their zone due to Phoenix’s forecheck and Kari had to make a couple of solid stops early. Woywitka had another one of those fling the puck out of the zone moves through the center of the ice. Luckily, no Coyotes player was there to intercept it.
Fistric put his stamp on early in the game with a big hipcheck on Vernon Fiddler. It’s still inconceivable why he got no playing time while Grossman was healthy. He’s pretty much the only physical presence out there.
Stars had great puck movement in their powerplay. Good slick passes, but there were weren’t enough shots toward the net in my opinion. Stars almost got killed by a turnover again at the end of the period. Alex Goligoski turns the puck over at his own blue line, allowing a one-on-one opportunity for Taylor Pratt. Luckily, his shot hit the post or else Phoenix would’ve had all the momentum going into the second period.
Dallas had more shots in this period but Phoenix had much better scoring chances. Goligoski and Richards had 7 of Dallas’ 12 shots on goal.
1st Period Stats
| Dallas | Phoenix | |
| Score | 0 | 0 |
| Shots | 12 | 8 |
| Penalty Minutes |
0 | 2 |
| Power Plays |
0 for 1 | None |
| Blocked Shots |
4 | 3 |
| Hits | 13 | 10 |
| Faceoff Wins |
6 | 10 |
2nd Period:
Pretty much the same start as last period. Phoenix gets their forecheck going again and they’ve spent nearly the entire beginning two minutes in the Stars zone. David Schlemko misses a backhand shot from a few feet as the puck goes right by the net.
The Peterson-Wandell-Barch line has been playing very well through the first two periods. They’ve been very aggressive (doing their job well) and have had a couple of good chances on Bryzgalov.
Stars got away with one again as Rostislav Klesla’s shot rang off the Lehtonen’s post. The goal horn in the arena actually went off, but it was obvious that the puck did not pass the goalline. Phoenix has another great chance 2 minutes later (9:15) as a Brad Lukowich shot is blocked out to center ice, where Lee Stempniak jumps on it and has a breakaway chance. Kari makes a huge save and then the rebound is swatted away.
Coyotes scored essentially what was a power play goal 12:09 into the second period. Mike Ribeiro had just exited the penalty box and was racing back to the defensive zone as David Schlemko shot from the blue line. It takes a slight deflection and goes by a screened Kari Lehtonen. The penalty kill was great for the first 1:30, but Dallas just couldn’t finish it off.
Stars scored a power-play goal at the 17:34 mark as Jamie Benn goes five-hole on Bryzgalov. Dallas was very aggressive on the power-play and were rewarded with a point.
Phoenix had a goal disallowed with less than 30 seconds left after it was ruled that there was incidental goalie interference as Taylor Pyatt ran into Kari Lehtonen. He was pushed backwards as the puck floated over his head and landed in the net. Phoenix has been close to scoring at the end of both periods so far.
With Benn’s goal, Dallas has scored in the second period in 10 straight games. 7 of the 13 goals scored by Dallas against the Coyotes this season have been in the second period.
2nd Period Stats
| Dallas | Phoenix | |
| Score | 1 | 1 |
| Shots | 18 | 9 |
| Penalty Minutes |
2 | 2 |
| Power Plays |
1 for 1 | 0 for 1 |
| Blocked Shots |
3 | 6 |
| Hits | 8 | 3 |
| Faceoff Wins |
10 | 14 |
3rd Period:
Stars were very good in the first 10 minutes of the period. They outshot Phoenix 9-3, but were unable to get the puck into the net. Bryzgalov allowed next to no rebounds throughout the game.
Lukowich had a great block about 11 minutes into the period. Kari was scrambling after he had stopped a shot and ended up losing his goal stick. Lukowich blocked the following shot as Kari was on the ground.
Two possible penalties were missed in this period. One when Ribeiro was tripped and another in the last minute of the game when Morrow was hit headfirst into the boards.
3rd Period Stats
| Dallas | Phoenix | |
| Score | 1 | 1 |
| Shots | 13 | 7 |
| Penalty Minutes |
0 | 0 |
| Power Plays |
None | None |
| Blocked Shots |
5 | 4 |
| Hits | 5 | 16 |
| Faceoff Wins |
10 | 10 |
Overtime
Stephane Robidas hits the post in the first minute of overtime. The puck was blasted into the pipe and flew out of the zone. Jamie Benn made a great pass over to Robidas after getting two defenders to follow him.
Phoenix totally controlled the last 3 minutes of overtime. Had all the shots and constant pressure on Kari. It’s fortunate that no goal went in.
| Dallas | Phoenix | |
| Score | 1 | 1 |
| Shots | 2 | 3 |
| Penalty Minutes |
0 | 0 |
| Power Plays |
None | None |
| Blocked Shots |
2 | 0 |
| Hits | 2 | 1 |
| Faceoff Wins |
1 | 0 |
Shootout
- Phoenix – Shane Doan – Kari made a nice poke check on Doan, so he never had a shot at the net. Dallas 0 – Phoenix 0
- Dallas – Jamie Benn – Jamie had what might be the most time consuming shootout goal ever. He made a long looping move from the left side of the ice over to the net and then backhanded it over Bryzgalov. Dallas leads the shootout 1-0 at this point.
- Phoenix – Radim Vraba – He backhanded it over Kari and roofed it. Didn’t look like Kari had a chance. Tied at 1-1 now.
- Dallas – Brad Richards – He gets his shot saved by Bryzgalov and it goes winging into the boards behind the net. Still tied at 1-1
- Phoenix – Mikkel Boedker – His shot totally misses the net. Still 1-1
- Dallas – Mike Ribeiro – Ribeiro does his usual array of twirls and stick handles but Bryzgalov is not fooled and stones Ribeiro at the net. Still tied 1-1 and heading to sudden death.
- Phoenix – Lee Stempniak – He fires the puck over the net and into the glass.
- Dallas – Jason Williams – Dallas should have won the shootout on this shot. Williams deked Bryzgalov, who ended up sprawled and stuck his stick out. Williams’ shot ended up hitting the the stick handle of Bryzgalov and went harmlessly away.
- Phoenix – Ray Whitney – His shot looks like its stopped by Kari, but it dribbles through his legs and into the net before Lehtonen can get a handle on it.
- Dallas – Loui Eriksson – Loui swings around from the left side of the net, but his shot is blocked by a sprawled Bryzgalov. Coyotes win the shootout and the game 2-1.
Game Stats & Scoring Summary
| Dallas | Phoenix | |
| Score | 1 | 2 |
| Shots | 45 | 27 |
| Penalty Minutes |
2 | 4 |
| Power Plays |
1 of 2 | 0 of 1 |
| Blocked Shots |
14 | 13 |
| Hits | 28 | 30 |
| Faceoff Wins |
27 | 34 |
1st Period – No Goals
2nd Period:
- 12:09 David Schlemko (4) Dallas 0 – Phoenix 1
Assists: Michal Rozsival, Eric Belanger
- 17:34 Jamie Benn (22) (Power Play) Dallas 1- Phoenix 1
Assists: Stephane Robidas, Jamie Langenbrunner
3rd Period – No goals
Overtime – No goals
