Dallas Hockey: Falling Stars Lose Again

The reeling Dallas Stars blew yet another game, this time surrendering three goals in the final 3:01 to lose 4-2 at home to the Los Angeles Kings.

The Stars, who have lost four straight, have been outscored 8-zip in the final periods of those setbacks.

In the Stars' previous game, a 2-1 loss to Anaheim, the Ducks got the game-winner with only 27.2 ticks left in regulation.

Two games before that, Dallas allowed the Detroit Red Wings to score the last four goals—three in the final period—blowing a 3-1 lead.

Not exactly the kinds of performances one would expect from a legitimate Western Conference contender.

In fact, since the Stars got to within three points of the top spot in the conference at one point in February, they have fallen on hard times.

After going on a 13-2-0 run to end February, Dallas has had a rough March, losing their seventh in eight contests this month.

Instead of vying for the top spots in the West, the Stars are instead the conference's version of the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, teams that were once battling for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs but now fighting to just to get into the post-season.

Next up for the Stars, the San Jose Sharks, who have been streaking in the opposite direction of late.

The Sharks are on a current 14-0-1 charge after an ugly five-game losing streak in mid-February to the Alberta and New York teams.

The Stars-Sharks tilt on Thursday—that's right, Dallas has four days off before its next game—won't mean much in the Pacific Division standings, as San Jose pretty much has that division sewn up.

The Sharks are 10 points ahead of Dallas in the division race, and five up on Anaheim with two games in hand.

The Stars would be worrying instead about losing their number five position in the conference, as they could easily fall to seventh place by the time they take the ice Thursday in San Jose—as other Western teams will be in action during Dallas' break in the schedule.

And the Stars can't do anything about their freefall except scoreboard-watch.