In a normal year, somewhere toward the middle of the schedule, Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights could be written off as bad luck. There were missed chances and a few more pings off the iron, but the team played well and in most scenarios, would have come away with a regulation win.
It doesn’t really feel that way, though. Dallas only scored two goals and found a way to lose - a continuation of early season trends that have given the glass half empty crowd plenty to brood about.
The “system” has taken the significant hits, as has the customary third period turtle (even if the team out chanced Vegas by a sizable margin).