Like Austin Powers, the Stars lost their mojo.
It's a nebulous term that means something quite different in The Spy Who Shagged Me, but you get the point. For more than a week, this team simply couldn't find its way. It doubted itself, it thought too much, it played confused.
It's not uncommon in sports.
Things start going sideways, and you overcorrect the steering. Your shot won't go in, and you start making adjustments. You can't score, and you start cheating up ice. It's a swerving mess that often requires you as a player to put on the brakes and stop.