Tuesday was a very bad night for the Dallas Stars.
The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference scored the first goal in Game 3 of its second-round Stanley Cup playoff series but surrendered the next half-dozen in a lopsided 6-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The rout tied for the largest margin of victory of any playoff game this season.
The Stars also came out on the losing end of the game’s only fight.
With the Blues leading 5-1 late in the third period, Dallas’ Stephen Johns was whistled for boarding after checking Alex Pietrangelo from behind. A scrum ensued, with Ryan Reaves and Curtis McKenzie quickly breaking away from the pack and dropping the gloves.
Reaves, who leads the Blues in fighting majors with five this season, made quick work of the Stars winger, then added insult to injury by blowing a kiss toward the Dallas bench as he skated off the ice.
David Backes potted the game’s seventh and final goal just over a minute later to cap a decisive Blues victory. St. Louis leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Thursday night at Scottrade Center.
