The Bruins left Dallas with seven of eight points from their four-game road trip, but the finish came with a sting.
Boston’s five-game win streak ended Tuesday night in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars at American Airlines Center. Matt Poitras and James Hagens scored for the Bruins, while Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick carried Dallas. Jeremy Swayman stopped 22 of 25 shots in the loss.
The Bruins came out sharper than they had earlier in the trip, and their first goal was built by the kids. Frederic Brunet moved the puck across ice to Poitras, who hammered a one-timer from the slot past Jake Oettinger. The goal pushed Poitras to a four-game point streak, now at 3-1-4.
Boston’s night on special teams never quite clicked. The Bruins came up empty on their first power play without putting a shot on net, then had to kill off a late first-period roughing minor to Tanner Jeannot after he threw a right cross at Radek Faksa following a whistle.
Dallas answered early in the second. Rantanen capitalized after Fraser Minten couldn’t corral a pass from Mason Lohrei, then buried the rebound after his first shot on Swayman.
Boston had a quick response. Casey Mittelstadt carried the puck into the offensive zone, circled behind Oettinger’s net, and fed the front. Hagens then beat Miro Heiskanen to the puck and redirected it in to put the Bruins back ahead just 4:40 later.
But the power play never found a rhythm. The Bruins went scoreless on four chances, including a stretch in the second period when they finally began getting shots through, only to come away empty. They opened the third with another man advantage after Morgan Geekie drew a holding call on Sam Steel 43 seconds in, and that chance also went by without a goal.
Rantanen pulled Dallas even with 6:22 left in regulation. He worked the puck to Roope Hintz from behind the goal line, Hintz’s shot hit Charlie McAvoy’s shin, and the rebound landed right back on Rantanen’s stick for a glove-side finish.
Overtime didn’t last long once the Stars got the extra-man chance. Swayman turned aside Wyatt Johnston twice to start the period, but Pavel Zacha was whistled for slashing. Rantanen then ended it with a backhand high over Swayman.
The Bruins didn’t record a shot on goal over the final 16:35. They now turn to Nashville on Thursday.
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