Tuesday night’s game between the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes was a near-perfect representation of the Stars’ season so far. The stands were nowhere near full, the Stars controlled play but still barely came away with the win, and the game left fans feeling doubtful and disheartened throughout.
And yet, somehow, it felt just like a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, a game between two of the bottom five teams in the NHL in the late part of the season felt like a postseason contest.
The Stars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, which helped amp up the crowd and get them into the game.