Monday, March 30, 2009

Florida Panthers 6, Dallas Stars 3

By Mark Stepneski of Andrew's Stars Page

DALLAS — Defenseman Stephane Robidas' reaction seemed to sum the team's night and season. Robidas, injured on a play late in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, was on his knees and pounding his fist on the ice in frustration.

That's the kind of season it's been for the Stars and Saturday's loss at American Airlines Center just added to it. The Stars lost more players to injuries and their playoff hopes, which were already dim, are now barely a flicker.

The loss, which ran the Stars' winless streak to six games (0-5-1), left six them six points out of a playoff spot with seven games remaining. The math isn't pretty.

"We talked after the game, there has never been any quit in this franchise and there won't be any now," said Stars coach Dave Tippett.

Robidas and fellow defenseman Mark Fistric were both injured in the game and are listed as day-to-day. Their names will get added to the list of injured Stars, which was at seven heading into the game.

It was a familiar story for the Stars Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. They started strong, got a lead and then things fell apart.

"We just can't sustain the good starts we are having, we are having a hard time keeping that level," said Tippett. "We had a very good first period, but then we took two penalties and gave up the lead.

Florida rattled off three goals in a 1:58 span of the late second period and early third to wipe out a 2-1 Dallas lead and take control of the game.

"I think everyone saw the outcome of the game and it's not acceptable," said Stars center Mike Ribeiro. "We cannot find an excuse. It's our fault and that's what happens when you don't play as a team. Overall, we gave up goals that we shouldn't on the rush. It's everyone, it's not one guy. Everyone let down. We should've won. It looks like we don't have energy to finish games. We keep teams in it. It was just a bad team effort. It's a team game and everyone made mistakes. It's disappointing that we don't come out with points."

The Stars dominated the first period and scored 4:23 into the game on a highlight reel goal by Ribeiro, who got a rebound, pulled the puck between his legs to get it into a better shooting position and put the puck over Florida goalie Craig Anderson.

But as in recent games, the Stars took penalties and the opposition cash in on their power play chances to get back in the game.

Florida's Cory Stillman scored on the rebound of a Stephen Weiss shot on Florida's second power play of the game to make 1-1 at 8:04 of the second. Ribeiro then set up a Matt Niskanen one-timer to put the Stars back on top 1:37 later. But late in the second period things fell apart for the Stars.

Michael Frolik made a sharp pass to spring Weiss down the right wing and the Panthers center beat Stars goalie Marty Turco from the right circle with 1:00 left in the period to make it a 2-2 game. Just 53 seconds later - and with only seven seconds left in the period - Nathan Horton scored off a rebound as the Stars were scrambling in front of their net and it was 3-2 going into the second intermission.

And then, just 58 seconds into the third period, Kamil Kreps busted into the Dallas zone and beat Turco with a backhand shot to make it a 4-2 game.

"That's the disappointing thing is when you feel pretty good and have such big letdowns with goals that the team needs you to have," said Turco, who allowed five goals on 32 shots. "I was there for most of them and just didn't go my way at all."

Stars forward Steve Ott took a charging major for a hit on Gregory Campbell with 8:47 left in the game, which led to 2:00 of four-on-four play (Florida's Bryan McCabe got a roughing minor for going after Ott) and then a 3:00 Florida power play.

Chris Conner scored during the four-on-four play for the Stars to make it 4-3, but Jay Bouwmeester scored from a sharp angle on the power play to make give Florida a 5-3 lead.

"The other team raises its level and we don't respond well enough," said Tippett. "We don't get the big save, we don't execute well enough to get ourselves out of trouble."

Radek Dvorak scored a late empty net goal to round out the scoring for the Panthers, who won their second straight game and moved to within one point of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"This was big," Bouwmeester said. "With six games left, we have to basically win all of them to control our own destiny."

The Stars head back out on the road, where they'll play Phoenix Monday.

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