The Dallas Stars came into this game against the Columbus Blue Jackets looking to gain the two points and have hope for their post season. But with Detroit topping the Nashville Predators with a 5-2 win, the game against the Blue Jackets would no longer matter. The Stars will now close out the regular season against the Detroit Red Wings and look to use their off-season to not only get stronger but find a few new pieces to the puzzle that they hope will make a contending play-off team in the 2013-2014 season.
First Period:
It would only take 19 seconds for Columbus to get on the board with a shot from Cam Atkinson, assisted by Blake Comeau and Brandon Dubinsky. Soon after at 6:54 Eric Nystrom would drop the gloves with defencemen Dalton Sprout with Nystrom clearly landing the better of punches. Both would sit for the next five as their respective teams battled to stay alive. At the end of the first the Stars would be outshot 12-10.
Second Period:
With the Stars future still up in the air the team would come back to play their hardest like every night. They would tie the game on a power play goal from Jamie Benn, with the assists going to Eric Cole and Ray Whitney at 8:43 in the period. This time the period would end with the stars out shooting the Blue Jackets 15-10 for a two period total of 25-22.
Third Period:
It would be during the second intermission that Stars coaching staff would learn of Detroits win. But the team come back for the third ready to do what it takes and keep on fighting, but Columbus would take the lead with two power play goals. The first at 7:56 in the period with Stephane Robidas in the box for inference, from Mark Letestu and Brandon Dubinsky. And again late in the period with Eric Nystrom in the box for interference, the Blue Jackets would take a 3-1 lead at 18:20 with Cam Atkinson scoring his second of the night from Jack Johnson and Dalton Prout.
Notes:
- Head coach Glen Gulutzan said in the press conference that coaching staff knew of Detroits win after the second.
- He also said that players were not told, and locker room TVs were all off, but seems to think a majority of them had found out from other media outlets.
- Aaron Rome was out of the line up as he has been battling a hip issue that will require surgery to repair.
