Another Western Conference Final Collapse from the Dallas Stars: The Harsh Reality after Game 4 Loss

Another Western Conference Final Collapse from the Dallas Stars: The Harsh Reality after Game 4 Loss

Same story, different Western Conference final for the Dallas Stars. The offense is nowhere to be found. The mental toughness is nowhere to be found. The Stars are nowhere to be found. And their inevitable elimination is on the horizon. Your Locked On Stars, your daily podcast on the Dallas Stars, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. Howdy Stars fans. I’m Joey Ericson, former producer of 105 Through the Fan. Please be sure to subscribe. We are free and available wherever you get your podcast and on YouTube. And as always, thank you so much for making us a part of your day and making us your first listen. The Dallas Stars were outshot 13-4 in the final 20 minutes of regulation with their season on the line. Outshot 13-4 by the Edmonton Oilers with their season on the line. Outshot 13-4 with their season on the line and they find a way to score two goals in their last three games against the Oilers. Welcome in to today’s game four reaction episode of Locked On Stars, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. your team every single day. And the eventual and inevitable elimination of the Dallas Stars is now on the horizon. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the same old song and dance with the Dallas Stars for the third straight year. The lack of mental toughness with this Stars team is truly truly embarrassing. Just no resilience whatsoever in this Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers for whatever reason. just no mental toughness whatsoever to just push through and and grind it out and and just force force change instead. Just wait for others. Just wait for others to try to get the job done. Mo will put on the cape at some point, right? Mo’s going to put on the cape. He’s not the problem, by the way. Stars fans, Jay Cottoner is not the problem with the Dallas Stars. It is the leadership top down. Jaime Ben, where are you? And I’ve been on his tail all postseason long with the inopportune penalties. I didn’t love the tripping penalty, but whatever. Dallas had plenty of power plays in this contest to to win again. And they go one for four. Edmonton goes two for three. Lights out. Night night. completely folded you up, put you in a bag, and threw you inside the the the laundry, threw you inside the the the dryer, the washer, whatever laundry equipment you want to use. That’s what they did in the third period. And credit, hey, first off, let’s give credit to Edmonton. They’re clearly the better team. Uh great job at like all the credit in the world to Edmonton. You’re way better. just just way better mentally. Um maybe it doesn’t show on the ice. I’m not going to get to any of the numbers right now. It’s it’s all phantom stuff at this point for Dallas. Yeah, it looks awesome in favor of the Stars, but when it came to any sort of big moment in this series, the Stars have just crapped the bed every single time. Every single time they finally get a power play goal from Jason Robertson. Leave it to Jason Robertson who couldn’t buy a goal, let alone a point since since he returned to the lineup. And some of that, I think, is to no fault of his own. He’s probably not 100%. He looked awesome tonight. He he was he was dangerous. Had some good chances. Scored the power play goal. That was awesome. And then another penalty for Mason Marchment. And of course, Edmonton converts. I don’t know what CC was doing. He took away the passing lane and then for some reason stood up and Perry had to tap in. I I I don’t know what CC was doing. Well, he shouldn’t have allowed Nan Hopkins to walk in from that area, but Cece went down to take away the pass and then stood up for whatever reason. But this Stars team just mentally soft. Really mentally soft. Constantly trailing in the series. Of course, they put together a good start and it leads to to a Edmonton power play goal. Another period where they come out, they they pretty much dominate. And what did they get for it? Trailing one- nothing just like the second period the other night in game three. It it it starts from the top down. Just mentally soft, just not being able to push back. Like I I like I after Robo scores, you you just have a feeling that Edmonton is going to respond. You know why? Because they’re a damn mentally tough team that has what it takes to win the cup. Simple as that. It It doesn’t matter what the referees are doing. It doesn’t matter the officiating. It doesn’t matter who’s leaving the lineup. Doesn’t matter who gets hurt. Doesn’t matter who checks in. They will respond and they will make it happen. they will push through and succeed because they’re not worried about all the other other crap. They’re just worried about playing their game. They’re worried about playing Edmonton Oilers hockey and the Stars just happen to be in the way. Just happen to be in the way. And Dallas just floats around and and just sits there and takes it. I mean, just takes it. And And look, Dallas played good tonight. I I’m I’m really not upset with that. Dallas played fine. But fine doesn’t win you Stanley Cups and good doesn’t win you Stanley Cups. And not showing up in critical situations time and time again. Everything the Stars did well in the first two rounds has just gone by the wayside. There’s no there’s no inopportune penalty kills or there’s no timely penalty kills. They’re not getting enough timely saves. Although Otter made some big big stops tonight in that third period because he had to face 13 shots for whatever reason since Dallas just once again not wanting to throw pucks on net, not wanting to get in Skinner’s face, not a ton of just quality looks because they’re all shots coming from the outside of the circles. It it they can’t get interior. They they just cycle the puck around. They have possess like it’s great they have possession. Stars are controlling possession. They have the puck. It’s not materializing in anything because they just fail. They just fail to want to get to some of those dirty areas and just and just jam pucks home. There’s no toughness. There’s no toughness in there to to to to just take the bull by its horns and make something happen. They’re just waiting for others to do it. It’s extremely infuriating. And again, they didn’t play awful tonight, but it’s not good enough if you’re not going to score on the power play and you’re not going to and you’re not going to get penalty kills. But also, the the issue is there, you’re just taking dumb penalties. And how many times did I come after every episode in the first two rounds and and constantly moan about all the stupid penalties the Stars took, all the stupid penalties they took, and it really never came back to haunt them until you play Conor McDavid and Leon Drytle. Then you’re going to get your face kicked in because they’re the two best players on the planet and they take advantage and they are going to make it happen while you just sit and watch because they’re tough. They’ve been to the cup. They want it. They fell short in game seven last season and they just have the resolve, the resiliency to kick your face in night in and night out and they’re doing it again to the Dallas Stars and they’re sitting there and taking it. There’s just no push. And it was a good first period, but what do they get for it? They trail consistently trailing in the series. And no, you cannot I I I don’t want to hear the physicality argument, too. The Stars team isn’t physical. You you can’t you can’t bully teams and play physical when you trail the whole game. You can’t bully teams. You can’t you can’t play physical when you’re trailing by a goal or two goals here and there. That that’s not the way the Stars are built. And it’s not it’s not a recipe for success. If if if they just want to go around throwing hits and throwing bodies, all it is is going to lead to them in the penalty box and once again uh failing to score. They they can’t score. They they they can’t be physical when you’re trailing. I in retrospect like it it’s all like I in in in a bright world if it’s all sunshine and rainbow. Yes. I would like the stars to go out and be physical and just h you can’t do that when they trail. You you you can’t play that way. It’s not a recipe for success. And Dallas went out and and and got more physical um in the offseason, right? They brought in Dumba. They brought in Leouchkin. And they brought in these guys and two of them are healthy scratches. Your two guys you brought in to be physical are are healthy scratches. And yes, should they have gotten a different piece? Maybe. Maybe they should got out and find somebody else. Yeah. But they they went out and got more physical. And this is what good teams do that went out and got more physical, but really they just got older and a bit slower. Cody CC is a perfect example. Like he’s still playing ginormous minutes against Conor McDavid. How many times did I see him just give the puck to McDavid in the offensive zone. It’s it’s not a recipe for success. 11 scoring chances uh against the most by any Dallas Stars defenseman, 18 against in all situations for CC. He’s playing ginormous minutes against the Oilers with that amount of talent on the other side. It’s just it’s not a recipe for success. And uh it’s a sobering reality as well because I don’t know what I how like yes, Dallas can play better, but how much better can the Stars really play? And they don’t feel like they’re on the same planet as Edmonton. There’s some big changes and hard decisions that are going to be have to made, but just mentally soft. Mentally soft. And it’s not a lack of effort. I I I don’t I don’t agree with that. Um I don’t like the no heart argument and any of that stuff. Look, um you can think what you want, but that’s not the issue. Um that’s not the issue. But I do think they’re just a bit mentally weak. And that’s and that’s really sad considering some of the skins on the wall they have in that locker room. And there just seems to be no response. No response. Same old song and dance for the Dallas Stars. Their inevitable elimination is on the horizon. Let’s uh discuss that more in just a moment. Today’s episode of Locked on Stars is brought to you by Wonderful Pistachios. Looking for a snack that’s both nutritious and delicious? Crack into a good source of protein with Wonderful Pistachios. 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The Oilers put on a clinic in the uh in the third period uh against the Stars as well. Um Stars with four shots as I mentioned, just a couple of just a couple of chances in um in that third period. Outshot 13 to four with just their their season on the line. And um it’s it’s it’s just the same story. Um and Pete Dbor says the same thing. They just can’t get a lead for whatever reason. All that they um all they did um all they did just it it it never they never got rewarded for any of their hard work. And it’s extremely frustrating. Like I’m watching Duchaine just skate around with possession and and they really never threaten Skinner. They just really never threaten him. And um like Mo Ranton, I mean he had a few posts in the game like he’s doing all he can it feels like and he’s gone quiet too which which hasn’t helped. And um I I I know the narrative is going to be on Mo Ranson and all that, but he is just he’s like the last last issue of this Dallas Stars team. Like I just I I don’t even want to hear it. Um he he is he is not the problem. Um I I I just like I speechless again where it’s like you you have to finish. You have to finish. It all boils down to that again. And and Otter was Otter was great tonight, too. He held them in, but just no run support. Two three goals in your last three games. Three goals in your last three games. And And really, the Star should have been swept. I mean, they they should be eliminated already if it wasn’t for a magical third period in game one where they scored three power play goals. They should be eliminated. I mean, not even not even competitive in a lot of ways and like they were good tonight. Um, hence when he was on the ice, 23 scoring chances, not bad. Uh, Harley Mero, like did a lot of good things tonight, too, but um they’re they’re just they’re just not good enough. They’re just not good enough. Um, or maybe they are and they just they just simply didn’t score. I like I I think that’s fair to some degree, too. But at the end of the day, at the end of the day, it’s it’s the third straight season and the same issues arise, there’s going to be a lot of changes. There’s going to have to be something. and and I’m going to try to save some of those for for eventually when the Stars team gets eliminated. Um I don’t know if it does anybody good to to get into that now. We we we can get into we’re going to have months to talk about what Dallas is going to have to change and do differently. But they have they have they just they they feel like they’re getting old. They they just have they have older players, these veterans, right? the the savvy veterans that are just not are are just not productive in these I mean Duchine again nowhere to be found for the most part. Marchment a just Marchman has hurt his team so much this postseason. I’m a big Marchment fan. I really am. But has not been good enough. Um Johnston has not been good enough. Like really nothing from him again. Um, and it’s just it’s it’s depressing. I I mean, Ben played I I Jamie Ben played 958. He played under 10 minutes. Your captain played almost I mean, your cap your captain played less than Colin Blackwell tonight. Need I say more? He played less than Colin Blackwell. Jamie freaking Ben played less than Colin Blackwell tonight. Um, and again, it’s it’s not like anybody was horrible in the game or or play really. It’s there there’s not anybody that’s just taking control and and and trying to lead. That’s that’s that’s infuri. There’s just nobody that’s taking the bull by the horns like Mo Rancin did in game seven against Colorado, right? Like that sort of mentality. Just like let’s make something happen. There’s just none of that. And what should be Jamie Ben’s final season in Dallas. He’ll probably be brought back. But what we’ve seen what we’ve seen in this postseason from Jamie Ben, he should be gone. There’s no way he should be brought back. Like this is this is how you perform with your season on the line in your mid30s and you’re trying to get a taste of the cup again. I he should be gone. I mean, and and look, I I like Jamie Ben, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just no no accountability, no toughness, where’s the resilience? Like, where is all that that we’ve we’ve seen the last few years for the most part? But they have to score. They have to score. Steuart Skinner is about to just just shut you down. Two years in a row. Um he was excellent tonight. And Dallas generated enough. Again, the numbers look good. Just not very good. and not enough not enough players, not not enough stars stepping up when they really needed them to. Um, and Dallas got through the first two rounds on special teams, phenomenal goalending, and and just and just timely timely plays in big moments. And Dallas hasn’t got any of those in this series. They haven’t got any of them. And yeah, you can say it’s it’s unsustainable. That that is fair if um if if you want to uh make that point, but I I I give Dallas a lot of credit for what they did in the two rounds without some of their best players and trying to get them back. And then when everything seems to start to come together, it just dissolves again. Um, sad sad for Dallas but deserved. Sad but deserved. And we’ll we’ll touch on that a bit more in just a moment as well. So, I I’ll I’ll touch on this uh because I I think it really is an it’s a really fascinating conversation with me and I’m going to have to bring on guests and and and have this conversation because I I feel one way and I know a lot of other people feel differently and um and that is is is Pete D’Vor. A lot of people want him gone and I I I completely understand that. Um, I know the stigma around him and he’s not able to get over the hump and um I I I I truly get I I think it’s fair. Um, and I know like there’s like he’s not adapting to Edmonton and all that and I and I completely get that. I know Dallas is down 3-1, but I look at the last two games in particular, and I from what I from from what I’m watching, I I don’t know how I don’t know how the trail leads back to Dbor. And I get it. He’s the head coach. It it sort of all falls on him, but in my opinion, what Dallas did last two games was pretty darn good. I I think they I would say outplayed Edmonton these last two games to some degree and I don’t know how Dallas not able to score or finish their opportunities is on deore in a lot of ways but I can agree there wasn’t a lot of change in the attack and the approach Dallas was kept to the outside a lot they just weren’t able to get interior so that I think does fall on him not trying to find other ways um to to just go just really go about uh just go about um attacking Edmonton because once again they’re just unable to really get to Stuart Skinner and make his life really hard. I I think it’s a fascinating conversation. Um I I I I guess I I I I feel like I’m a bit indifferent. I I I really don’t know if if like the Stars should keep him or not. And again, some of this is a conversation for uh another time. Um let me know your thoughts in the comments. I don’t feel strongly about one either. If they wanted to go a different direction, I’d be like, “Okay, I see it.” If they didn’t, I’d be like, “Okay, that makes sense as well, cuz it it depends like who’s on the market.” I don’t know if the grass is always greener. I think Dbor has done a phenomenal job and I think two things can be at once. Doris done a phenomenal job, but maybe he’s not the answer. Just like uh he was in Vegas and then Cassidy comes, boom, they win a cup the next year. Like I think that is is fair too. Um it it it really is a fascinating conversation. I would love to ask others that. I I don’t feel strongly on either way, but you watch nights like this and I I start seeing it from that perspective about why you want him out of here, right? Um because he’s shown time and time again he can’t get over the hump and you’re doing it three years in a row. Your older guys only are going to get older. Your core is only going to get older and then you get to the point, are you just wasting primes again? Um, it’s the San Jose Sharks conversation, right, during the 2010s with Pav and Thornton and Marlu Cach Couture, like all those really good Sharks teams that just fell short. Funny enough, D’Vor was there, too. Um, and are we going to get to the end of this window? Although the Stars are still built pretty well for the future, like they still have a long runway, but you know, five years down the line and they’re they’re stuck here. Um it’s it’s tough, right? It it’s just it’s really really really tough. Um, yeah, that that’s a fascinating conversation and I I’m curious to hear other points of view, but um I think there’s a lot of there’s a lot of interesting decisions that are really starting to to um to rear its head. I mean, two of the guys you went out and got in free agency are healthy scratches and Elie Labouchkin and Matt Dumba, the guys that are supposed to bring some grit and and look, I I wasn’t in love with those signings from the hop. I wasn’t. Um, but I I thought I gave him a fair chance during the regular season. I thought Leouchkin for the most part played pretty well. Um, you know, even Dumba had some stretches, but as always, the question was going to be this time of year, can you hold up against the best in the world and playing heavy minutes? And we’re watching Cody Cece play top four minutes for Dallas. It’s It’s just not a good recipe. It It never was. It was never a good recipe um to have him playing in that role. And And we knew that. And um it it’s just um and and again it’s it’s not like um it’s uh it’s not like um the the the defense um is the I it it’s not the the the end of the world for Dallas. It it hasn’t it really hasn’t been the biggest issue for the Stars in the series. Um because I mean you’re not going to beat anybody scoring three goals in or or what two goals in three games. Uh you’re not going to beat anybody, let alone this time of year in the Western Conference Final. You’re just you’re not going to beat anybody doing that. Um but gosh, just uh really really really sad stuff, but I mean frankly deserved um for for Dallas. They’re just their their inability to their inability to um to try to to try to adapt and and defeat this team. Um they just they looked frustrated for the first time. They looked irritated and a bit whiny to some degree. And um and as we said a lot coming into the series, they they just they they can’t play track meets with Edmonton and they can’t play from behind and they have played from behind in every game in the series. Um and this is and this is what they get. Um sad really is sad. and their inevitable elimination could be on Thursday night um at home. But we’ll uh we’ll see what they’re able to muster up then. And um yeah, we’ll see if they can make things interesting in the series, but I I don’t count on it. Um I think they’re I think they’re done, which sucks. I think they’re done. Um and it’ll be a fun offseason, I guess. Uh but we’ll we’ll hang in there until the very end, Stars fans. Um, just some numbers to throw throw it out there. I don’t know if it does any good. A scoring chance at five on five, 23-20 in favor of Dallas. High danger chances, they were tied at eight. Expected goals, four for the Stars at five on five, 2.68 for Dallas, 2.08 for Edmonton. So, not massive massive majorities for Dallas. Uh Skinner uh was was phenomenal tonight. Um Stars on the power play. They went one for four. Edmonton goes two for three on the power play. They outshoot Dallas 33 to 29. Uh 50 hits to 24 for Edmonton. That’s uh what you’re allowed to do when when um when you get a lead and you can just shut teams down. Um, and in big moments, Dallas crap the bed. Edmonton continues to push. They continue to be resilient and not allow anything that doesn’t go their way to um affect them in a lot of ways. Um, they just brushed it off and and and the Stars just happen to be passengers on uh on the Oilers way to the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year. That’s going to do it for today’s episode of Locked on Stars. Please vent below, be my guest in the uh comments below. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me rant a bit and ramble on on today’s episode. Thank you for making us your first listen. Locked on Stars part locked on podcast network, your team every single day. Hope Stars fans and uh enjoy the day tomorrow the best you can. I hope you have uh a wonderful wonderful day um and get through the day tomorrow and we’ll be back um in a couple days. to to do it again. Um see if the Stars can extend their season. Uh but looking pretty bleak right now. Stars fans, have a great rest of your day. See you on the next episode. So long.

On today’s episode of Locked On Stars, Joey reacts to the Stars defeat in Game 4 to the Edmonton Oilers by a final score of 4-1. He begins the show expressing why the Stars lost the game and the overarching problem that has reoccured in the series so far. Players like Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene and others struggled again and cost Dallas multiple times this postseason. Joey highlights the offensive struggles again and now the Stars are faced with a reality they can either learn from or continue down the same path. In the final segment, Joey struggles with the dilemma of whether Pete DeBoer should stay or go as Head Coach of the Dallas Stars.

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