The Dallas Stars got the night started in a hurry, with Miro Heiskanen scoring 47 seconds into the first period. Then the offense went silent, and Nashville rode that early reset into a 2-1 win at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.
It was a frustrating follow-up to a fast opening, especially because Dallas never really found another gear after Heiskanen’s goal. The Stars did not generate much the rest of the way, and that was the story of the game as Nashville kept things tight and quiet.
Heiskanen’s opener was a slick sequence. He jumped the faceoff win, carried the puck down low, tracked down a loose puck, and slipped it through a crowd of bodies and shot blockers in the slot. That was the kind of individual effort Dallas needed more of as the game wore on, because the chances dried up quickly after that.
There was a brief push from Wyatt Johnston on the power play, but that was about it for sustained pressure. Through five periods this season, Dallas has not created much at 5-on-5, and the power play has not bailed it out yet. It is early, and nobody is calling for alarms, but the same offensive issues that helped end last spring’s run are already showing up again.
The second period was the clearest example of how flat the game had become. Few shots, fewer chances, and no goals. Not every game is going to be a track meet, but this one settled into a dull rhythm fast.
Mavrik Bourque also had his first game against Dallas since being traded to Nashville over the summer with Ilya Lyubushkin because of the tight salary cap situation in Dallas. Bourque, who scored 20 goals last season, has always been one of the more interesting players to follow because of how honest he is about his own game. He played 18:05, went 6/10 on faceoffs, and is still looking for his first point as a Predator.
There was some movement in the Dallas lineup, too. The Stars dressed Hryckowian, Johnston and Rantanen on the top line, followed by Robertson, Hintz and Seguin; Steel, Hyry and Benn; and Bäck, Faksa and Blackwell.
On defense, it was Harley with Heiskanen, Lindell with Lundkvist, and Bichsel with Myers. DeSmith and Oettinger were listed in goal, with Kiviranta, Capobianco and Duchene out as scratches.
The third period brought some line shuffling from Glen Gulutzan, including Robertson-Hintz-Benn, Steel-Johnston-Rantanen, and Hryckowian-Hyry-Seguin. Dallas also went with Robertson-Johnston-Rantanen at one point, but even with the changes, it never found the kind of dangerous looks it needed.
There were a few moments beyond the scoreline. Casey DeSmith took a shot to the right post in a sensitive area after a Nashville forward slid into him.
Juuse Saros lost his glove on his own post. Bourque beat Arttu Hyry on a faceoff.
Bourque and Lian Bichsel had a little pushing and shoving, and there were smiles mixed in with the contact.
Heiskanen stood out throughout the night, and he may have been the best player in the game. Johnston also made a huge blocked shot and then knocked the puck out of the air and down the ice, wiping out what would have been a big Nashville chance.
Still, Dallas never really found the kind of chaos or edge that can turn a game like this. There was talk of wanting more hits, more fights, more of the kind of energy that shows up in the Minnesota games. Instead, this one stayed too calm for too long.
Dallas now turns right around and hosts San Jose on Monday to finish three games in four nights to open the season. The Stars need to find a way to get two points there and avoid starting 0-3.
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