Two of the leagues best top lines came to play tonight, but unfortunately only one gets the chance to celebrate. And that nod goes to the Colorado Avalanche. However, goaltending and defense are something that both of these teams also have in common. Both teams came in tonight with a top ten goals against average. The Stars and Avs are actually very similar. The only difference is the offenses. The Stars still lack more depth than Colorado, and the Avs top line is producing at a much better rate than Dallas’.

First Period:
After giving up first period goals the past two games, the Stars returned to their regular ways. Dallas was able to shut down the explosive Avs offense for the time being thanks to Anton Khudobin. It was wide a pretty wide-open and fast-paced opening frame in which the Avalanche had the better of the chances. But no one could hit twine and both teams left the ice feeling pretty content that neither team could break through.

Second Period:
Once again the Avalanche were the better team, yet still had trouble with Khudobin. The Stars even helped them out a little bit, by loading up the league’s best powerplay. But even then the Avs could still not crack the scoreboard. Then halfway through the second, the Avs top line struck. Mikko Rantanen fed Nathan Mackinnon across the ice and Mackinnon easily wristed one past Khudobin. Dallas picked up the pace and even got a few shorthanded opportunities. But the Avs Semyon Varlamov denied the Stars and kept the Avs up by one.

Third Period:
The only real action of this game came in the third. If you’re an Avs fan then you’ll love this section. If you’re a Stars fan, then you know how aggravating this feels. Both teams had chances galore, and, for the most part, the goalies remained strong. But with about eight minutes left, the Stars Radek Faksa was able to snap one home off of a rebound to pull the Stars even. Then a few minutes later, Radulov won a battle against the boards, snuck the puck over to Seguin and passed it backdoor to Benn for the tap in. It seemed at this point that Stars took control of the game. However, Colorado was not accepting defeat. The Avs J.T. Compher found a loose puck from Khudobin and was luckily able to sneak it past the netminder to tie the game. Then with about two minutes left, the leagues’ leading score broke the tie. After a shot from the point, the puck bounced to the left of Khudobin where Rantanen was camped out and backhanded the puck in. The Stars could not rally once again as Varlamov stymied their last wave and held on to give Colorado the victory.

Recap:
This one stings. This one stings a lot. To battle so hard and then fall apart in the end. But, that’s the measure of a great team. Six games in nine days, including a second back-to-back. Also, an injury-riddled defense certainly does not help. However, this is where a team has gotta dig in and prove they are elite. The Stars failed and they get some time to relax before they embark on another road trip.

What’s Next:
The Stars head north of the border to face their old head coach and the Connor McDavid led Edmonton Oilers.