Justin Hryckowian kept putting Dallas in a favorable spot Thursday night. The Stars still finished there only once.
Hryckowian won 9 of 10 faceoffs in the Dallas Stars’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a remarkable individual result in a game tied after overtime before Columbus converted twice in the tiebreaker. His work at the dot gave the Stars repeated first touches.
It did not give them automatic possession for the rest of the shift, and the difference between those two ideas defined Dallas’ night.
A center can win the draw and still see the opponent disrupt the next pass, win the ensuing battle or push play away from the dangerous areas. Hryckowian’s contribution deserves credit precisely because it should be described accurately: he created favorable beginnings.
The Stars’ single goal does not tell us what happened after each draw; it does show why a strong night at the dot cannot settle the whole offensive evaluation.
Other Dallas players also contributed strong faceoff numbers. Roope Hintz went 6-for-7, and Radek Faksa also won 6 of 7. Arttu Hyry won 6 of 11.
Those numbers suggest Dallas was frequently getting the first opportunity after a stoppage, but the scoreboard did not behave as if the Stars owned the game. Columbus led the shot count 10-7 after the first period, and the teams were even at 19 shots apiece through two periods. The game remained scoreless.
That scoreless middle portion also requires credit for Cam Talbot. Esa Lindell’s wrist shot at 9:16 of the second period brought a scrambling glove stop near the right post. Later, at 16:45, Talbot used his left pad to deny Jason Robertson on a breakaway. Dallas had chances; the Blue Jackets’ goaltender prevented those chances from becoming a lead.
Hryckowian was not responsible for turning either sequence into a goal. Nor was a faceoff win supposed to do that job. The draw can place the puck on a teammate’s stick, but the attack still has to solve the next layer of resistance. Thursday supplied a favorable faceoff total and a narrow scoring return, without establishing a direct cause between them.
The Stars finally broke through 6:27 into the third period. Wyatt Johnston took advantage of an Ivan Provorov turnover and sent a shot toward the net. Talbot made the first stop, but Mikko Rantanen recovered the rebound beside the cage and held it long enough to find room by the near side. His ninth goal put Dallas ahead, with Johnston receiving the assist.
That play showed what Dallas needed beyond clean faceoff work: a mistake seized upon, a second opportunity claimed and a finisher patient enough to wait for the opening. It was a quality sequence, but it was also one sequence. The successful play began with a Columbus turnover rather than a draw, another reason to keep these separate parts of the attack in proportion.
Columbus tied the game when the third-period clock reached 16:46. Zach Werenski entered from the left circle and lifted a backhand over Casey DeSmith’s left pad, with Kent Johnson and Matthew Knies assisting. DeSmith stopped 29 of 30 shots through 65 minutes, which gave Dallas a chance to win despite allowing Columbus 30 shots to its 28.
