The Dallas Stars aren't pinning a Game 3 beat down on poor goaltending.
The St. Louis Blues dominated Dallas to the tune of a 6-1 win en route to a 2-1 series lead on Tuesday, out shooting the Stars 39-26.
It marked the second game in a row in which Stars head coach Lindy Ruff was forced to make a change in net, but defenseman Alex Goligoski was sure to emphasize the loss should not be pinned solely on the goalies.
"It hasn't been a goalie issue, really," Goligoski said after the loss, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. "We're giving up some big chances at bad times, early in games. We're putting pucks in places we're not supposed to, and they've been a little harder on some battles and put them in the back of our net. Give (the Blues) a little credit.
"But losing confidence in our goalies is not an issue. It's our game. It's been that way all season."
The Stars have indeed struggled in their own end all season long, ranking 19th in goals against during the regular season while boasting the league's top offense. The defensive woes have carried over to the playoffs, and it certainly doesn't help that star center Tyler Seguin remains sidelined, further hindering the Stars from controlling play.
Still, there's no denying the dual-goalie setup - with Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi continuing to split starts - isn't working, as evidenced by the Stars' .889 save percentage, the lowest among the eight teams remaining in the playoffs.
The starter for Game 4 is anyone's guess at this point, but it doesn't seem to matter to Jamie Benn.
"We should be better as a group," Benn said. "That's the bottom line."
