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Stars Lose on Home Ice to Blue Jackets 2-1

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The Dallas Stars lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Tuesday evening in an aesthetically challenged game that only a coach could love. The game was won on the merits of two goals in the third period from Oliver Bjorkstrand. Ben Bishop started in net and finished with 23 saves on 25 shots. Amazingly, the Stars did not spend any time on the power play but managed to kill their lone penalty.

With a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games, the Blue Jackets attempted to simplify their game and play in the mud, and the Stars obliged. A period-long felling out process commenced with little room for playing the puck. The Stars held the Blue Jackets without a shot until a little over eight minutes into the period. Jamie Benn took a silly hooking penalty that the Stars could’ve done without. The Blue Jackets didn’t get anything going, and Mattias Janmark had a shorthanded breakaway chance that he fumbled with the back checking defenseman on his hip.

The second period seemed even more congested with sticks in passing lanes, neutral zone interceptions, and lots of chip and chase hockey. The Stars created one excellent opportunity on which Sergei Bobrovsky made a stellar read. Alexander Radulov set up a tic tac toe play in front of the net with Janmark setting up Dan Hamhuis sneaking into the slot. Radulov turned the puck over once and had to race back to make a play to break up the ensuing 2-on-1. Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard had to head back to the locker room after blocking a shot from Jason Spezza with his helmet.

The Stars finally managed to crack Bobrovsky’s shell in the third period on a goal from Devin Shore. Tyler Seguin had to work hard to keep the puck in the zone and get it across to John Klingberg who was pinching into the high slot from where he beat put a shot in front for a screening Shore to get the deflection.

Then Bjorkstrand took over on his two ensuing shifts. Stephen Johns turned the puck over to Bjorkstrand at the Stars blue line, and Bjorkstrand fired a wrist shot to beat Bishop on the far side. On his next shift, Bjorkstrand capitalized on an offensive zone turnover by the Stars to skate in towards the right circle and beat Bishop on the short side from an awkward angle.

The Stars had a few shifts towards the end of the game to attempt to draw even, but Bobrovsky played like a perennial Vezina finalist and was enough to seal the victory for Columbus.

Play of the Game

The Stars had Sergei Bobrovsky beat in the first period with a tic tac toe play in front of the net, until they didn’t. Bobrovsky made an excellent read on the play to keep the game scoreless and ensure the Stars would have a tough night generating anything.

The Upset Three Stars of the Game

1. Oliver Bjorkstrand (2 G) – On two shifts in the third period, Bjorkstrand single-handedly won the game for the Blue Jackets with back-to-back goals.

2. Sergei Bofrovsky (.955 SV%) – Bobrovsky had the play of the game, stopping Dan Hamhuis from point blank range and frustrated the Stars with timely saves.

3. John Klingberg (1 A, 23:07 TOI) – Klingberg was the reason the Stars got anything on the board and helped generate a couple of good shifts late in the game to attempt to tie.

The Goals

First Period

No goals

Second Period

No goals

Third Period

:44 Devin Shore finally broke open the scoring with a deflection on a shot from John Klingberg. Tyler Seguin had the secondary assist and had to keep the play alive in the zone. Stars 1, Blue Jackets 0

4:54 While Stephen Johns was attempting to drop the puck to the ice on his own blue line, Oliver Bjorkstrand stole it and wristed one past Ben Bishop on the far side to draw the Blue Jackets even. Stars 1, Blue Jackets 1

6:12 The Stars turned the puck over in the offensive zone, and Oliver Bjorkstrand wasted no time getting up ice to beat Ben Bishop on the short side from an odd angle. Stars 1, Blue Jackets 2

Blue Jackets lineup
Artemis Panarin — Pierre Luc-Dubois — Nick Foligno
Sonny Milano — Boone Jenner — Josh Anderson
Matt Calvert — Lukas Sedlak — Oliver Bjorkstrand
Markus Hannikainen — Jordan Schroeder — Tyler Motte

Zach Werenski — Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara — David Savard
Scott Harrington — Jack Johnson

Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo

Injured: Ryan Murray (upper body), Cam Atkinson (fractured foot), Brandon Dubinsky (fractured orbital bone), Alexander Wennberg (back)

Scratched: Dean Kukan, Zac Dalpe

Stars lineup
Jamie Benn — Tyler Seguin — Devin Shore
Mattias Janmark — Jason Spezza — Alexander Radulov
Antoine Roussel — Radek Faksa — Tyler Pitlick
Gemel Smith — Jason Dickinson — Brett Ritchie

Esa Lindell — John Klingberg
Dan Hamhuis — Greg Pateryn
Stephen Johns — Julius Honka

Ben Bishop
Kari Lehtonen

Injured: Marc Methot (knee), Martin Hanzal (lower body), Remi Elie (flu)

Scratched: None

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