"Unacceptable": Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn gets brutally honest after squandering 5-2 lead in dismal OT loss to Canucks

Dallas Stars had a 5-2 lead late in the third period against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. But they gave up three goals in the final minute and lost 6-5 in overtime. Kiefer Sherwood scored the game-winner for Vancouver just 3:44 into the extra period.

The loss was tough for Dallas as a win would have kept them closer to first place in the Central Division. Instead, they stay five points behind the Winnipeg Jets with only four games left.

After the game, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn didn’t hide his feelings. In the post-game conference, he called the result “unacceptable” and said the team should have finished the job.

"Unacceptable. That game should've been wrapped up. We should have found a way to get it done. You gotta play 60 minutes. It's just unacceptable from this group, especially this time of the year," Benn said.

The Canucks needed a regulation win to stay alive in the playoff race. They were down by three goals with one minute left. Aatu Raty made it 5-3, and Pius Suter scored twice to tie the game. Vancouver completed the comeback in overtime.

Dallas Stars' late-game defensive issues are prominent

The Dallas Stars have lost three straight games after winning seven in a row. Before the Canucks loss, they had lost 5-3 to the Penguins, then 3-2 in overtime to the Wild.

Against Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby opened the scoring on a power play. Evgenii Dadonov tied it at 1-1. Dadonov then gave Dallas a 2-1 lead. Crosby tied it again early in the third. Dadonov scored his third goal for a hat trick. Rust and Lizotte scored next for Pittsburgh. Crosby added an empty-net goal to finish the 5-3 win.

The next night, the Dallas Stars faced Minnesota, and Jason Robertson scored first after a nice pass from Mikko Rantanen. Matt Boldy tied it 1-1 in the third period. Marcus Foligno then made it 2-1 for the Wild. Thomas Harley tied it 2-2 with a shot from the blue line. In overtime, Marco Rossi scored the game-winner on a power play.

Dallas still holds second place in the Central Division with a 50-22-5 record. They have already clinched a playoff spot. Matt Duchene leads the team with 79 points.

Jason Robertson has a team-high 34 goals. Mikko Rantanen, their new addition, is expected to help even more. But the Stars will have to fix their late-game defensive issues as they head into the playoffs.