Thursday Links: Failure To Launch

The Stars have given away their last advantages in the wildcard race. Now what? Plus, NHL Draft Lottery news, Amanda Kessel’s next mission, and more.

Dallas Stars fans have had a bummer of a week so far. The Victory Green Gang has stumbled out of the gate in their final road trip, and their games-in-hand edge has evaporated like so many ice shavings in the Texas sun.

Perhaps the most troubling part of last night’s loss was the way the Stars unintentionally breathed new life into the wildcard campaigns of the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks. Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara ruminates on this failure to close the deal in his latest Off The Rush post:

When it’s only a couple guys providing offense, the team’s defense better be sharp. On Wednesday, that wasn’t the case. The Stars fell behind 2-0 in the first six minutes of the game on goals from Evander Kane and Derek Ryan. Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood was under siege throughout the opening 20, making 17 saves on 19 shots.

And even though the Stars clawed their way back on two unanswered goals from [Jason] Robertson and [Roope] Hintz, they let the Oilers restore their two-goal lead on buzz-killing tallies from Zach Hyman and Jesse Puljujarvi less than six minutes apart on the back-half of the second period.

Robo provided the high points, as per usual…but how long can the team keep falling back on him?

Robertson joined rare company with his goal in the first period. He became just the sixth player in Stars/North Stars history to score 37-plus goals in a single season at age 22 or younger and just the second since the club relocated to Dallas in 1993-94. He followed Dino Ciccarelli (55 in 1981-82), Steve Payne (42 in 1979-80), Brian Bellows (41 in 1983-84) and Neal Broten (38 in 1981-82) with the North Stars as well as Tyler Seguin (37 in 2013-14) with the Stars.

There’s more under the link. [Dallas Stars]

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Stars Stuff

Esa Lindell has a point. Gotta give him that.

Yeah, but can they do it? And are you ready to find out?

Around The Leagues

In On The #Kill Taker

• The Chicago Blackhawks and the Arizona Coyotes are playing for dignity at this point – and last night the Hawks got just a little more, with a 4-3 win in overtime. [Second City Hockey]
• And the Colorado Avalanche, possibly in rest-and-recharge mode at this point, ate a 3-2 regulation loss to the Seattle Kraken in Washington. [Mile High Hockey]

The Stars’ playoff hopes took a beating from more than just their loss in Alberta: The Golden Knights dropped the Washington Capitals in OT for the full two points.

Greg Wyshynski asks the question that matters: Who’s gonna tell Gary Bettman?

American icon Amanda Kessel has taken on an important new role with an organization that has meant a lot to her brother, too.

Set your DVR!

Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park

The Texas Stars got their own away series off to a rousing start last night.

And hey, that Matt Murray seems like he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Finally

I’m…just gonna leave this here. Enjoy.