The Dallas Stars began play on Thursday night with 52 points in 54 games, putting them seven points out of the last wild card spot in the Western Conference.
It’s been a disappointing season, and in disappointing seasons there are many disappointing things. Like, for example, when you score into your own open net on a delayed penalty before a power play.
Which is what the Stars did at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night:

In the second period, Zack Smith of the Senators was flagged for tripping Devin Shore of the Dallas Stars. Goalie Kari Lehtonen went to the Dallas bench. The Stars began to break out offensively, but center Jiri Hudler decided to drop the puck back to his teammates to generate more speed through the neutral zone.
Instead, he set it right in between Dan Hamhuis and John Klingberg and into the empty net.
Whoops.
Given how the season’s gone, perhaps the only surprising thing was that it didn’t beat a Dallas goalie in the process. Because everyone else has.
The Stars ended up losing to the Senators, 3-2.
Luckily for Hudler, no Dallas Stars blooper involving an empty net will ever surpass the CITIZEN KANE of empty net bloopers.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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