DALLAS — Mavrik Bourque scored 15 seconds into the game, but the early jolt wasn’t enough as the Dallas Stars closed the calendar year with a disappointing loss at American Airlines Center.
Dallas was outplayed at five-on-five for long stretches, surrendering odd-man rushes and extended zone time while the offense stalled after the opening minute. The defeat capped a night that mixed franchise milestones with frustration about recent trends.
Jason Robertson finished 2025 with the second-most goals in a calendar year in team history, while Wyatt Johnston ranked fourth. Jake Oettinger’s 35 wins tied for the fourth-most in a single year since the franchise moved to Dallas. The Stars also reached 100 points for the fourth straight calendar year and ended 2025 second in the league in wins, points and points percentage.
The mood, however, centered on the loss.
“We weren’t close enough at five-on-five, and that’s the disappointing part,” head coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We’ve been at home, we’ve had energy — and we didn’t match it.”
Bourque said the group has to respond quickly.
“We need to stop the bleeding,” Bourque said. “We know we can generate chances, but we’ve got to turn them into results.”
Dallas opens the new year looking to correct defensive lapses that have crept in during the recent slide.
