DALLAS — The Dallas Stars couldn’t keep Winnipeg off the scoreboard Friday night.
The Stars surrendered eight goals in an 8-3 loss to the Jets, with another difficult performance at home raising questions about their ability to stay composed when things begin to go sideways.
Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said the team played one of its better opening periods at home, but its approach changed after Winnipeg scored in the second.
Rather than staying patient and returning to the game plan, the Stars tried to get the goal back immediately. Gulutzan said that decision opened the door for the Jets to take control.
“That’s the wrong mindset,” Gulutzan said. “The right mindset is just to stay with your game and keep building it back up.”
Gulutzan pointed to similar problems in previous home games against New Jersey and Montreal. He said the issue wasn’t a lack of effort or character, but how the team was responding to adversity.
Dallas also struggled to get the saves it needed as Winnipeg took advantage of its opportunities, particularly on the power play and through its top offensive players.
There were a few individual highlights for the Stars despite the result.
Thomas Harley recorded two assists, giving him multiple points in consecutive games and three multi-point performances in his last four outings. His first assist was the 111th of his career, moving him past Philippe Boucher for 18th place on the franchise’s all-time assists list among defensemen.
Roope Hintz finished with a goal and an assist. He has now recorded eight points, including four goals and four assists, during a five-game point streak against Winnipeg. Hintz also has seven points in his last four games.
Jason Robertson added an assist, extending his recent success against the Jets to seven points in his last six games against them.
David Perron scored his first goal with Dallas, while Nils Lundkvist played a career-high 24 minutes, 1 second.
Justin Hryckowian won 11 of 12 faceoffs, setting a career high for faceoff victories in a game. He has won 69% of his draws this season.
The individual numbers offered little consolation on a night when Dallas gave up eight goals.
Gulutzan said the Stars need to stop trying to force an immediate response after giving up a goal and get back to playing the way that made them successful in the first place. Against a Winnipeg team playing with confidence, Dallas paid for not doing that.
