Heika’s Take: Mistakes continue to compound as Stars drop fourth straight contest

What was expected to be an invigorating break in the schedule for the Stars has turned into a bit of a pothole.

After going 12-2-1 in a frantic push through late November and December, The lads in Victory Green felt sure that getting some rest around Christmas would freshen the legs and minds and result in even better play. Instead, Dallas has gone 0-2-2 in the past 10 days and looked progressively worse with each game.

Dallas lost a 4-3 game at Chicago on Thursday to open up 2026, but was down 4-1 before scoring twice with the goalie pulled. It was a bit of a gut punch to a team that now sits 25-9-7.

“We’re certainly in a little bit of a funk,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan.

The head coach said the uneven schedule has been wonky, and it’s the job of the coaches and the players to sort that out.

“Our team did really good with rhythm and playing every second night, and all of the sudden a break hits and we haven’t got back on the horse yet,” Gulutzan said. “It’s not tired, we’re rested. It’s down a degree and losing that edge. The league is humbling, it can turn very quickly. So you’ve got to get your edge back and get back in a rhythm of playing every second night and playing good hockey.”

The Stars will actually get that chance with an upcoming stretch of 14 games in a 28-day span, but Gulutzan said he would like to address the problems of focus and execution as soon as Sunday’s home game against Montreal. Thursday’s game was a team effort in mistakes, so everyone can share the blame.

With the score tied 1-1 late in the first period, Dallas got hemmed into its own end and took a penalty with no time left on the clock. Chicago came out and scored on the power play 13 seconds into the second period – its second PPG of the game – and that really was a gauge of how hungry the Blackhawks were in this game. While Gulutzan felt playing Chicago for a second time after losing in Dallas would spark his squad, the home team seemed even more excited about the challenge of beating the high-standing Stars.

“At the end of the day, we have to be better,” said forward Matt Duchene. “That team, for back-to-back games, they outcompeted us. This team is better than that.”

In addition to the late shift in the first, Dallas also made a couple of mistakes on a goal by Ilya Mikheyev in the second period, as Wyatt Johnston lost a battle at the blue line and Esa Lindell lost position when Mikheyev drove to the net. Miro Heiskanen took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after that goal, and both Lindell and Heiskanen had frustrating nights all around.

Mikheyev then beat Jake Oettinger on an awkward goal to start the third and make the score 4-1. Oettinger finished with 17 saves and an .810 save percentage on one of his rougher nights of the season.

Asked about the rare fact Dallas surrenders two power play goals, Gulutzan said, “Giving up two penalty kill goals hurts, it gives the other team life. But we’ve got to create our own life. We’re not executing at the level that we can. We’ve certainly dropped a degree, and you can’t drop a degree in this league and expect to win on any given night.”

That’s a challenge for a team that has simply found a way to win for much of the season. Now, they have to reset and try to find their mojo again.

“There are no easy shifts in this league, no easy games,” said captain Jamie Benn. “You have to come prepared to play every night or you’ll get humbled pretty quick.”

Duchene said the evidence is all over the ice.

“The Detroit game was good, the last three have not been,” he said. “To a man, we took our foot off the gas. That can happen after Christmas, but it can’t happen for three games. We have to be better. We have to look in the mirror individually and everyone has to have more. You’re going to go through valleys in 82 games, and it’s how you climb out of them. This team has always shown that we do, and this time is no different.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.