Thirty-eight seconds into the second period, Nico Hischier scored his second goal of the night. At 11:45, Jesper Boqvist made it 3-0. Dallas answered at 16:08 through Justin Hryckowian, then Luke Hughes replied 28 seconds later.
That sequence produced a 3-1 New Jersey period and a 15-4 shot-on-goal advantage. It also supplied the clearest explanation for the Dallas Stars’ 5-1 loss Tuesday at American Airlines Center. The final score described the damage; the middle frame showed how it happened.
New Jersey kept putting pucks toward Casey DeSmith, while Dallas spent most of those 20 minutes trying to survive long enough to create an attack.
Hischier’s goal arrived before Dallas had established any response to the Devils’ opening pressure. He finished at 00:38 of the second, with Timo Meier and Luke Hughes assisting. New Jersey then kept adding shots, reaching 15 in the period while Dallas reached four.
The Devils’ attack was not merely a scoreboard operation. The volume forced Dallas into repeated defensive sequences and left Connor Hellebuyck with little work at the other end.
Special teams complicate the picture without changing its center. Dallas had two penalty incidents in the period. DeSmith was called for tripping at 6:02, and Benn’s altercation with Brenden Dillon at 11:54 produced an instigator minor, fighting major and misconduct. Benn was assessed 17 penalty minutes in all. New Jersey went 0-for-3 on the power play, and Dallas did not receive a power-play opportunity.
The penalty kill deserves credit. Every Devils advantage was killed, and all five New Jersey goals came at even strength. That prevents the convenient diagnosis that Dallas simply lost because it could not defend without an extra skater.
But killing penalties is a defensive escape hatch, not a substitute for building pressure. The Stars’ four shots in the period include the full offensive output of those 20 minutes; all four came at even strength, while the penalties reduced the time Dallas had to seek an answer without a man disadvantage.
Boqvist’s goal made the imbalance especially plain. Jack Hughes assisted, and Boqvist finished from above the right circle at 11:45. Nine seconds later, Benn’s penalty sequence added to the Stars’ administrative burden without altering the score. Dallas finally produced an answer at 16:08, when Hryckowian redirected Tyler Myers’ point shot for his second goal in two games.
That was a real finish, not a decorative entry on the scoresheet. Hryckowian had one shot, three blocked shots and 14:56 of ice time, and his redirect cut New Jersey’s lead to two. Dallas then needed a defensive shift to preserve the opening.
Instead, Luke Hughes scored at 16:36, only 28 seconds later, restoring the three-goal margin. The sequence did not erase Hryckowian’s play; it showed how little room Dallas had created for one goal to matter.
The shortage of attacking volume spread beyond that one exchange. Joel Kiviranta led Dallas with four shots, all stopped. Jason Robertson had three, Wyatt Johnston had one, and Mikko Rantanen finished with none.
