DALLAS — The Chicago Blackhawks ushered in the new year by getting ushered out of Dallas via a two-game weekend sweep.
Whereas Friday’s loss to the Stars was a roller-coaster ride that was settled with 8 seconds left in overtime, Sunday’s 8-1 loss at American Airlines Center was all but a foregone conclusion after a three-goal first period and two-goal second.
The Hawks entered the rematch knowing what to look for: odd-man rushes.
The problem was, the Stars hardly left the offensive zone, so they did most of their damage from below the blue line.
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Craig Smith deflected in Sam Steel’s snipe for the game’s opening goal.
Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin scored two minutes apart.
The Hawks had a few of their best chances during a second-period push.
Ryan Donato backhanded a backdoor pass to Jason Dickinson but Dickinson couldn’t capitalize. Isaak Phillips had a short-range wrister.
A blast from Lukas Reichel couldn’t find its mark, and Nick Foligno tried a wraparound.
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Nada.
Then the Stars collected themselves and continued the onslaught.
Sam Steel blew through the Hawks defense to score on a roofer, and Mason Marchment scored on the power play to pad the lead to 5-0.
The Hawks must’ve had a heart-to-heart or drew up a play in chalk or something during the second intermission.
Philipp Kurashev scored a power-play goal on a tick-tack-toe from Connor Bedard and Cole Guttman 39 seconds into the final frame.
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But that glimmer of hope faded quickly when Roope Hintz batted in a rebound goal out of midair.
Petr Mrázek got the hook and Arvid Söderblom got the nod.
He didn’t emerge unscathed either. Marchment bagged his second and third goals of the night in the final 5 1/2 minutes.
The Hawks played a dismal first period, allowed 35 shots, committed three penalties and generally looked worse after getting a second crack at the same team.
And they gave up a hat trick to Marchment, just like they gave Roope Hintz a hat trick on Friday.
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[ [Don’t miss] ‘Dumb play by me’: Connor Bedard learns valuable lessons from a split-second decision that led to a Chicago Blackhawks OT loss ]
So what did they learn?
“We have to get stronger mentally and learn to play a little simpler, to the game plan, and getting pucks behind the team, forecheck them well, and then we have to be on top of our checks everywhere,” coach Luke Richardson said.
“We can’t hang behind them,” he said. “We don’t have the wheels for it, the strength for it yet, as individuals or as a team, to play loose run-and-gun hockey.
“We just got to be stronger to sit with our game plan for 60 minutes, not 15 or 45, which has happened lately.”
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Tyler Johnson left in the second with an apparent leg injury.
“He’ll probably be out for a little time,” Richardson said.
Here are four takeaways.
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno tries to set up a shot against Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood in the second period on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Dallas. (Richard W. Rodriguez/AP)
Foligno often gives animated postgame gut-check whenever the team has a bad performance, but he was practically apoplectic after an 8-1 beating.
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“That is really, really disappointing,” he said. He expected the same “compete” the Hawks showed Friday and didn’t get it.
“My only hope for a game like today is we just finally hammer it through our thick heads how we’re going to need to play, and that is not it. That is just not who we are, not who we can be. That’s not what we expect in the room, that’s not what our fans should expect.
“That’s what pisses me off. That’s not a winning team, that’s just a team hoping. Hoping, ‘Ah, maybe it’s an easy night. Maybe the other team doesn’t have it.’ Are you kidding me? That team’s record, and we’re going to play like that? I’m sorry, just that one is really, really frustrating with the strides we think we’ve been making.”
Foligno mentioned “easy” again: “Tonight it was just like we were hoping to have an easy game. Who are we to have an easy game right now?”
So what does he mean by “easy”?
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“Just the compete,” Foligno said. “You watch our puck battles, our battles in front, our changes, the way we change.
“Things that sometimes you can get away with here and there, but when a team like that is playing against you that’s structured, that’s older, that has had winning habits and understands the game, you’re going to get picked apart, and that’s what it was tonight.”
Kevin Korchinski broke the puck out, drop-passed to Bedard in the neutral zone and made two Stars defenders bump into each other as Bedard passed to Kurashev.
Kurashev hit Cole Guttman and drifted backward, Guttman passed to Bedard, and Bedard threaded a backdoor pass to Kurashev for the goal.
Richardson said the execution on the power play hadn’t been great to that point, “so Derek Plante talked to them and kind of fine-tuned it a little bit.
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“But that was more their individual skill, making that line rush on that goal and it was a nice goal,” he said. “But a little bit too late for us to play with that kind of fire.”
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Söderblom and defenseman Isaak Phillips defend as Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz shoots in the third period on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Dallas. (Richard W. Rodriguez/AP)
Tinordi was benched Friday after a terrible night culminated in him getting turnstiled on a third-period goal.
It was worse for Phillips.
He was on the ice for six of the Stars’ eight goals.
He got caught flat-footed by Steel before Steel backhanded a roof shot past Mrázek. Mason Marchment whipped in a power-play goal from the low slot while Phillips wasn’t scrambling to find the puck between his legs.
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Richardson said he told Phillips that he had a strong game on Friday.
“And then tonight, just on the wrong side of guys and not aware,” Richardson said. “I think when things start to go bad, kind of like what we talked about with Tinordi last game, it seemed to go like that with Philly.
“I think he started to guess a little bit instead of just playing and doing his job and trusting everybody else, and when teams and individuals start doing that, it breaks down.”
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic shoots against the Seattle Kraken during the second period on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
It’s the much-maligned plus-minus rating.
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Sure, there’s some fluke factor baked into the stat. But that can’t totally explain away Vlasic’s team-leading plus-10 rating entering Sunday’s game, especially because he’s not exactly a big contributor on offense.
“I was not aware of it,” Vlasic said about the stat. “You know, there’s going to be times where you get lucky and you’re on the ice when your team scores. And then there’s going to be times when you get unlucky and you’re on the ice and the other team scores.
“It’s not necessarily anyone’s fault or whatever, so it’s not always an accurate representation of how people are playing. But I like to take pride in just shutting down things defensively and then trying to contribute a little bit offensively.”
Recent headlines: Dallas Morning News, Wednesday, “Hundreds of Voters Turned Away at Polls” and ”Residents frustrated after being redirected to their assigned sites.”
The Texas Tribune, Wednesday, “In Dallas County, frustration and confusion after GOP forces switch to precinct-based voting.”
VoteBeat Texas, Tuesday, “Primary voters frustrated and confused after Dallas County switches to precinct-based voting.”
All this despite the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court spending $1 million on a voter outreach campaign to alert voters to the changes.
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Thanks, Dallas County Republicans, you’ve wasted our time and money!
Kimberly Farrar, Richardson
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An egregious fraud
Having recently voted in the 2026 Texas primary elections, I should feel a degree of satisfaction for meeting my civic duty and my obligation as a U.S. citizen. Why is it that I feel as if I am perpetuating an egregious fraud?
The rules governing this election obligate me to declare that I am either a Democrat or a Republican before I am allowed to participate. I am neither. What are my options?
I can play along, pick a side and vote for the candidates on my ballot that I truly support while being unable to express that same support for other candidates because their names do not appear. Or I can join the vast majority of my fellow citizens and choose not to participate at all.
I was always taught that in a democracy, elections are fair and free. How can elections be considered fair when (by rule) the names of half of the candidates are not even on my ballot?
May the best candidate win, even if I was never given the chance to vote for him/her.
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Wayne Hardey, northwest Dallas/Disney Streets
Needs more transparency
Re: “City Hall debate is a rerun of AAC debacle — We need to slow down, insist on transparency and get this right,” by Laura Miller, Wednesday Opinion.
Laura Miller is right about everything! There isn’t enough transparency about the deal with City Hall. The iconic building is unique and one of a kind and should be repaired and preserved.
I.M. Pei personally mixed the concrete to a specific color to appear warm in the Texas sun. The city council should be ashamed of allowing the building to get into such bad shape.
Paul Taylor, Dallas/Oak Lawn
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No Cowboys Stadium in Dallas
If my memory serves, Laura Miller singlehandedly quashed Jerry Jones’ desire to build Cowboys Stadium in downtown Dallas. The tremendous benefits Dallas residents would have received were innumerable, and it would have enhanced property values in an area that desperately needed that.
I find it ironic that Miller is opining on anything related to building in Dallas.
Michael DeMott, Frisco
Laura Miller had the right idea
I grew up in Plano, and I live in Richardson now, so I’ve been observing Dallas up close for nearly seven decades. One thing that sticks out is that Dallas is really good at building glitzy shiny structures, but it’s not good at taking care of them.
I read about City Hall, the futuristic building built in 1978 that is becoming unusable largely due to lack of maintenance. Now, they are trying to decide if the building is worth saving, or do they need to build yet another. They build designer bridges, but can’t fix streets and can’t replace aging water lines.
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One of the things I learned in business is to make sure what you have is right and is working properly before branching out into new ventures. It’s that way with infrastructure.
Infrastructure isn’t glamorous, but we certainly notice when it fails. It’s crucial to a modern city.
Years ago, Miller ran for mayor partly on a platform of fixing Dallas’ aging infrastructure. She was ridiculed as the “pothole mayor.” I think she had the right idea.
Steven Ritchey, Richardson
Not a fan of Texas Ranger statue
Re: “’One Riot, One Ranger’ statue finds new home — Sculpture removed from Love Field in 2020 now at Globe Life Field,” Tuesday Metro & Business story.
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As a 50-year fan of the Texas Rangers baseball club, I was extremely disappointed to learn of the relocation of the banished Texas Ranger statue to Globe Life Field. The statue was removed from Love Field for the systemic racist history it represents, as the Rangers are well known for abusing minorities, especially the Mexican-American communities.
Given the ongoing ICE raids and roundups of anyone who looks brown or black, the statue’s new location at the ballpark is questionable at best and insulting at worst to the large Latino fan base the Ranger baseball team enjoys.
The public relations office really struck out with this boneheaded idea. They should have read some Texas history or the book, Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers.
Tony Torres, Garland
Love letter to Dallas
My most perfect day. I was high up in the mountains and came upon a green pasture filled with wildflowers, including beautiful columbines. There on my left was a worn-down home and Aspen trees, glittering silver to green in the cool gentle wind. And on the ridge before me was a full-grown porcupine just wandering across, coming from the Aspens and heading to the snowcapped mountains. I was 14 and it was a perfect day, time and moment.
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Hold unto these moments. You never know when they can come around. The summer days lumbered on, like the porcupine, but way too quick, it was back to school. Back to W. T. White among my friends.
I miss my youth in Dallas. Times in the creek on hot summer days. Crawling under the wired fence to watch Jesuit High School games, a snowball fight with Dallas police and so much more.
This is my love letter to Dallas.
James K. Waghorne, Wichita Falls
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.
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If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
Food influencer Keith Lee announced a new phase of his career by becoming an investor in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, an Asian-fusion restaurant chain with several locations across the U.S.
The announcement was accompanied by a special event at the brand’s Dallas restaurant, where Lee made a public appearance to celebrate the new partnership.
“I love the innovation. I love the way that they move. I love the business mind that they have,” Lee said about his investment in the brand to The News. “I think there is just a bunch of really dope things that we can do together and bring the community together.”
The popular influencer’s presence drew hundreds of people to the restaurant, hoping to meet him in person. Lee interacted with attendees, greeted fans and provided customer service inside the restaurant, taking pictures, chatting and serving menu items.
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Keith Lee (left), influencer, food critic and Dallas resident, speaks to Kristel Clouse as she tells him to visit her Forney restaurant Brunch Room Bistro during an appearance by Lee at Brooklyn Dumpling Shop on Friday, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. Lee has joined the brand as an investor as part of a landmark, multiyear partnership.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
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“Keith is so hot right now, and what we love about him is his authenticity and the way he always supports the community,” said Jeff Galletly, CEO of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop.
Lee, who has more than 20 million followers on different digital platforms, reviews restaurants across the country. In his videos, he usually eats in his car and gives an honest opinion on the food’s quality. After publishing his review, food businesses are impacted either by stratospheric demand or public disapproval.
“I love Dallas. Dallas is amazing,” Lee said. “We have been here for the last year. It’s really quiet, it’s peaceful. I love it out here.”
Keith Lee, influencer, food critic and Dallas resident, puts on an apron during an appearance at Brooklyn Dumpling Shop on Friday, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. Lee has joined the brand as an investor as part of a landmark, multiyear partnership.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
From Dallas, Lee continues traveling across the country to visit restaurants and post his reviews on social media.
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Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is at 2548 Elm St., Dallas. brooklyndumplingshop.com.
Among the many surprises in Tuesday’s primaries, one of the most shocking took place in the Democratic primary for Dallas County district attorney. Amber Givens, a former district court judge with a history of injudicious behavior on the bench, handily beat incumbent John Creuzot, whose leadership and experience in office earned the respect of a wide array of legal and community leaders.
We had expected that Democratic voters would want to retain a public servant who performed his job with diligence and integrity. Creuzot championed innovative, evidence-based programs to address the needs of suspects with mental illness and substance abuse problems.
Instead they elevated someone whose ability to do the job is an open question.
So what happened? We don’t know.
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Were primary voters just uninformed about the vast difference in experience and qualifications? Were they most concerned with the races at the top of the ticket, while ignoring lower ballot races? Judicial and county races often get short shrift.
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Maybe voters viewed Givens as the more progressive of the two candidates, and preferred her politics. Long ago, Creuzot did run for judge as a Republican.
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But as a Democratic district attorney, he’s been a favorite target of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Early in his first term, Creuzot announced his office wouldn’t prosecute low-level theft of basic necessities, partly to keep impoverished, nonviolent offenders out of jail. He later dropped the policy when he found it had little impact on the crime rate. Creuzot also joined several other big-city DAs and sued Paxton after his office tried to impose onerous reporting requirements on local jurisdictions. The DAs won.
Meanwhile, before her victory, Givens was in the news for all the wrong reasons.
In June, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished her for “failing to comply with and maintain professional competence in the law,” in regards to due process and for failing to treat a defendant with “patience, dignity and courtesy.” Givens was also publicly reprimanded for allegedly allowing a court staff member to substitute for her during a virtual bond hearing and for mistreating attorneys in her courtroom. She appealed the rulings and a three-judge panel in Austin re-tried the case late last month but has not yet issued its verdict.
Givens’ campaign website said the incumbent DA’s office denied evidence was missing for some felony cases. In fact, the Dallas Police Department had lost track of or deleted digital files that the DA’s office didn’t know existed. Even highly professional prosecutors and judges can be stymied by failures in other parts of the criminal justice system.
Her first news conference as DA-elect (there is no opposition in November) revealed few specifics about how she plans to run her new office. Givens emphasized that she was vastly outspent by Creuzot, which is true. She wants to establish community justice councils and set strict deadlines to decide whether to seek an indictment in cases of all types. Neither sounds realistic.
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We have to hope for the best, but the record here convinces us Dallas County Democratic voters got this race as wrong as any we can recall.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.
If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
:quality(70):focal(1565x1625:1575x1635)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/I7QP3ZJUOQBW4PB2QJRW3QK4PE.jpg?ssl=1 "4 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars: ‘We have to get stronger mentally’")
