To say things haven’t gone according to plan for the Dallas Stars in recent weeks would be an understatement.
Despite a strong regular season that ended with them in second place in the Central Division at 50 wins, they stumbled into the Stanley Cup playoffs on a seven-game losing streak, finishing 0-5-2 during that stretch.
They didn’t get the result they wanted in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Colorado Avalanche, falling 5-1 to open the series in a 0-1 hole.
Stars Fans Meltdown After Eighth Straight Loss: ‘No Heart, No Fight, No Hope’
After their eighth straight loss dating back to April 5, Stars fans weren’t in a good mood.
One frustrated fan called out the team for an alleged lack of toughness, saying, “Two things, Stars just gave up at the end. Not a good sign of the team’s heart and grit. Next, Coyle should’ve been dealt with driving the net and being a sweat with 10 seconds left while up 4 goals.”
Another fan expressed shock that the Stars have now gone winless in eight straight, saying, “Well, that was a complete train wreck. Where did the passion and fun go? 0-8??”
This fan said the Stars have no choice but to win Game 2 to avoid a sweep, stating, “Splitting the series 1-1 going to Colorado is our only small hope. Down 2-0 with how our play has been, going to CO it’s a sweep.”
Another fan was downright mad, saying, “That was one of the worst watches I’ve seen in a Stars game this year. Brutal.”
Finally, this fan couldn’t believe the slide they’re in, saying, “There’s literally nothing great about this team right now. So depressing to see after the year they had.”
The Stars will get a chance to even the series when they face the Avalanche in Game 2 on Monday night.
Stars Head Coach Peter DeBoer on Club’s Comeback Chances
The Game 1 loss means the Stars have now dropped seven straight series openers since Peter DeBoer took over as head coach in June 2022.
The upside for Dallas? In each of the last two years, they’ve bounced back from losing Game 1 to reach the Western Conference Final.
After the loss, DeBoer said he still believes the Stars can flip the script.
“The good news is we have comeback and won more than our share of those series where we have,” he said. “So I think we have to concentrate on that.”
One thing is certain — the Stars need better goaltending from Jake Oettinger, who Colorado’s MacKenzie Blackwood outdueled in his first career postseason game.
