Nothing to lose: Stars look to take first step on comeback trail

The script couldn't have been much more enticing.

After two narrow overtime losses on the road to open the Western Conference Final last weekend, the Stars headed home with a chance to regroup and respond. While Vegas carried a 2-0 lead into the set, there was plenty of belief that Dallas was still in the thick of the series.

For one, they had been the better team in large chunks of the first two games. That included outplaying Vegas for the majority of Game 2 before a defensive turnover and bad line change effectively turned into the tying and winning goals for the Golden Knights.

But the Stars had proven they could run with the West's top regular season team. Mix in the fact they were headed back home where they were 5-2 in the playoffs and the feelings were optimistic. They had only endured two losing skids of 3+ games during the season, so the thought of a third straight loss seemed unimaginable.

It was all setting up so perfectly . . . until it didn't. And when it was all said and done, the Stars were once again on the wrong end of things in a lopsided 4-0 loss.

"We can be better all around," Stars forward Joe Pavelski said. "A game like that happens, you have to be ready right from the start. Coming back, we wanted to take care of business at home. We didn't do that tonight. We've got to regroup now."

It all happened so quickly in the first period. Moments after Jonathan Marchessault scored the opening goal just 71 seconds into the game, Jamie Benn was called for cross-checking Mark Stone in the neck away from the play. He was eventually given a major and game misconduct and ejected from the game.

In the minutes that followed, the Stars fought through a 5-minute penalty kill and only allowed one goal. But after William Carrier scored at the 7:10 mark to make it 3-0, Jake Oettinger was pulled from the game and replaced by Scott Wedgewood.

Evgenii Dadonov didn't return after the first period due to a lower-body injury. Late in the second period, Max Domi earned a roughing, cross-checking and misconduct penalty in a scrap with Nicolas Hague. Then in response to the calls, a handful of fans threw debris onto the ice.

And while the Stars outshot the Golden Knights 14-2 in the third period, it wasn't enough to avoid their first time being shut out since January 4 in Anaheim.

"I'm not sure you could script much worse," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "I actually liked our energy and I loved us on the penalty kill. I thought that even though we gave up the first goal and Jamie took the penalty, we had the legs, energy and attitude to survive it and we didn't.

"That's the unfortunate part of it, and now we're in a big hole. We have to find a way to win a game on Thursday."

That's how it goes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But nestled within the "win the next game" mentality is a sobering thought. This is the first time the Stars have lost three consecutive games since mid-February. It's also their first time in a 3-0 series hole since the 2008 Conference Final.

The climb from here can seem insurmountable. And yet, there's no other option for the Stars than to start climbing and taking it one shift at a time. As we've said before, the best part about rock bottom is the rock part. You find the solid part that can't be broken down any more.

And when your back is against the wall with everything to gain and nothing to lose, there's plenty of room for potential.

"It's just one game at a time," Oettinger said. "We win tomorrow and anything can happen. That's our main goal. You can't win four games in one day, so we have to start with playing our game tomorrow, putting our best foot forward and doing the little things that have helped us get to this point."

They will have to go about finding that response without a few key pieces in their lineup. Jamie Benn was given a two-game suspension by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for the cross-check. Meanwhile, Dadonov is doubtful for Game 4, according to DeBoer.

That's two of the team's top six scorers in this postseason potentially being on the shelf in an elimination game. It's not an admirable situation, but it's one the Stars have to navigate.

Does that mean Luke Glendening and Fredrik Olofsson are inserted into the lineup? Or do the Stars call on someone from the AHL to make their debut? All options are seemingly on the table in a win-or-go-home game.

And what about in the crease? After an impressive First Round showing against the Wild that included a 4-2 record and .929 save percentage, Oettinger has struggled to harness that consistency. In the last two series, he's 4-6 with a .869 save percentage. But he's been the team's anchor all season, so the belief is that he'll find a way to shine when the lights are brightest.

"That's what the playoffs are all about and it's what the great goalies do," Oettinger said on Wednesday. "I'm going to go out there tomorrow, give my team a chance to win and go from there."

And as this impressive run by the Stars gets pushed to the brink, the time for desperation approaches. Game 1 was unfortunate, Game 2 was unnerving and Game 3 was unacceptable.

But at the end of the day, the focus is simply on the next game. And while the Stars have a massive climb ahead of them, we know that potential is buried within their resilience. It's what they do best.

Every journey begins with a single step, right?

"We're just worried about trying to get our first win in this series," Domi said. "That's all that matters. Obviously, we're going to have to play some desperate hockey now with our lives at stake here. I'm looking forward to it. This group has always answered when our backs are against the wall. It should be no different tomorrow."

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.