The Dallas Stars overcame a sloppy second period and scored two late goals in a 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at American Airlines Center on Sunday.

USA vs Canada and big mistakes

I am going to write real soon about which Stars I think will play for their respective nations at the 2026 Winter Olympics. But there are quite a few of them who will, or at least will have a chance, to be there.

One of the bigger plays of the period was a big save by Jake Oettinger.

The play that led to that featured some of the best players from Team USA and Team Canada. Unfortunately, and then fortunately for Dallas, their representatives were on the defensive side. Thomas Harley made a big mistake, skating the puck up the middle of the ice and turning it over as the last man back… And turning it over to Auston Matthews — aka elite sniper.

Matthews made a deke rather than using his shot, and Oettinger made a slick glove save that the fans loved.

In the end, it’s an awesome highlight for Oettinger that is surely all over social media right now. Deservedly so. But deeper down, it is a mistake that Harley has been making far too often this season.

Harley has battled an injury and illness, and has a lot going on with his recent massive contract extension and hopes to play at the Olympics. But does that have anything to do with it? Sometimes players can be struggling because of mental stress. Whether it’s losing confidence or splitting focus between too many balls in the air, or a million other things, it’s human nature.

And as my pal Robert Tiffin would write (probably.) Hockey players are human after all, right folks?

The worry here is if Harley can shake it off.

One, so he can play for Team Canada after he earned a lot of attention as an emergency call-up to the 4 Nations in February. But two, and obviously more importantly, for a Stars team that really needs him. Sure, there’s a lot of money involved. But I don’t have any doubts in Harley’s future. I just hope he can snap out of his funk this season.

Dallas has found ways to win, a lot of special teams and goaltending, I suppose. But that won’t last forever. They need more offense 5-on-5 and could use a boost from the blue line scoring, outside of Miro Heiskanen. Harley has too big a role on this team to just be okay because I don’t think they have sustained success if he is.

I believe Harley will find his way. The big question is, when? I thought it may be after he scored and went plus-5 in Anaheim, but through 20 minutes tonight, not so much. The other big question is where he stands with Canada GM Doug Armstrong and his team (including Jim Nill?)

Mavrik Bourque, ugh

Mavrik Bourque has been good this season. But the problem is that he hasn’t been good enough offensively. He has corrected mistakes and shown that he has far higher confidence than he did under Pete DeBoer. But Bourque can’t just be not making mistakes. That’s not good English, but who cares?

For Bourque to have success and live up to the expectations he had/has, he’s got to score some goals.

And tonight, he finally did. Then it didn’t count because Roope Hintz was just offside after an excellent cross-ice pass from Bourque. But he kept playing well, and eventually skated into an Esa Lindell clearance and scored into the empty net. I may have reverse-jinxed another one.

The real reason I worry is that Dallas is going to be looking to add help at the trade deadline. They need a forward who can score, and they probably would like a defenseman too; one with some offense would be nice. I would just hate to see Bourque being part of a deal because Dallas will absolutely do what it needs to win right now. Nill won’t just trade for a rental and completely risk the team’s future. But he will do what it takes to win in their wide-open window right now, especially after coming up short and not being able to score in three-straight Western Conference Finals.

I think Bourque has a bright future with this team, but he has to be able to outscore guys like Oskar Bäck, Sam Steel, and Colin Blackwell. If he is in the same range as those guys offensively, but not quite the same weapon defensively or killing penalties, he could end up being the odd-man out, either as part of a trade or once they do bring in some reinforcements.

Dad’s trip for the win (literally)

I was going to write this section about how the Stars found a way to overcome a sloppy second period and win the game 5-1 against the Leafs. But the Dad’s trip was just too much dang fun. So I want to write about that instead.

The Stars’ Dads/ billets, brothers, and mentors were around all day, attending meetings and morning skate, and then sitting in a suite together for the game. The AAC gave them a big cheer when they showed them on the Jumbotron, too. It was all fun.

Then they stormed into the dressing room just as the media was coming in to interview players. They were high-fiving, harassing Justin Hryckowian as he did his radio interview, and maybe having a beverage or two to celebrate the win with their sons.

It was good vibes all around. Such good vibes, in fact, that Jamie Benn even cracked a joke, saying he was closer in age to most of the Dads than to his younger teammates. He said he and the Dads were chatting about their similar music taste, like Nickelback and The Tragically Hip. If Benn is smiling and cracking jokes, you know it’s a good time all around.

Plus, you get to see a big piece of how these guys become who they are as people and players, which is pretty cool.

“Yeah, it’s fun, they’re having fun,” Gulutzan said. “I’ll let you guys do your sleuth work, but I hear there’s a Dad leading tequila shots in there, so, I’m not going to sell them under the bus. But that’s a good thing, it’s a good thing when they’re having fun and their sons are having fun. That’s what the games about, really, when you see the Dads are in there. Hopefully a few of the Dads give their guys some pointers tonight and help us.”

Now the Dads will join the team on the plane tomorrow and head to Detroit, where they will spend the night before another game day against the Detroit Red Wings. With a day off tomorrow (outside of travel), I can imagine some good times will be had around here tonight…

Especially because some of the wives are already back home for the holidays.

Guys night!

Random notes

• Oettinger said he thought about shooting for the empty net before he dumped it off to Lindell (and picked up a secondary assist on Bourque’s goal). But Oettinger told me he doesn’t think he can get his shot over the top of everybody, so he “needs the seas to part” to take a shot. He said he may have tried if it were 4-1.
• Gulutzan told us that one of the Dads was leading tequila shots in the dressing room. We have to work to find out who. I have guesses.
• I love that Bourque got that goal after a few solid games and another good performance tonight, especially after his goal was waived off because Hintz was offside.
• Justin Hryckowian scored and cellied. I don’t think that’s a word. But I am down for it.
• Harley’s dad looks exactly like him. Like, it’s crazy.
• Is the Grinch the best Christmas song and movie? I think it is. Prove me wrong.
• I got to watch four men dressed like dradles singing “Dradle, Dradle, Dradle” in the concourse, so that was fun.
• As always, I love meeting all of you DieHards and fans, and tonight I got to hang with Ryan and Claudia after the second period… Despite Clau rocking an Auston Matthews sweater and Leafs hat.

Quotable

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan

“You never want to waste a goalie performance. I thought we were good in the first… And then I think we got a little loose and out of rhythm in the second, and Jake had to save us. I thought the second was poor, one of our poorer periods… Jake held the fort, made some saves.”