“Atrcious”: Stanley Cup Play-Off Starts With Upsetting Fans Over Dallas Game

The Dallas Stars geared up for their first game of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche last night. The American Airlines Center was buzzing, the puck’s about to drop, and then—bam!—green lights start pulsing up the staircases like a sci-fi movie gone wrong. Do they seem too distracting to you? Instead of focusing on the ice, fans are squinting at the bizarre light show stealing the spotlight. For many fans, the real distraction wasn’t the missing stars or the team’s rocky history—it was those glowing staircases.

Hockey podcast host Pete Blackburn didn’t hold back, taking to X to vent: “I’m sorry but the green lights up the staircases at this Stars game are f—— horrendous and so distracting. Two years in a row the Stars doing some weird s— nobody asked for at the start of the playoffs. Grow up.” The Stars were already facing an uphill battle. With Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen sidelined by injuries, a 0-5-2 regular-season finish, and a seven-game losing streak in playoff Game 1s, the team had plenty to prove. Meanwhile, the Avalanche, who’ve won seven of their last nine Game 1s, came ready to dominate.

Fans across the social media platform X echoed Blackburn’s frustration, calling out the pre-game light show by saying, “They’re absolutely atrocious.” Things didn’t go much better for the Stars on the ice as well. Nathan MacKinnon, despite taking a stick to the face, was a force for Colorado. He had a hand in both of the Avalanche’s quirky second-period goals and sealed the deal with an empty-netter for his 50th career playoff goal. Colorado’s 5-1 win, backed by Blackwood’s 23 saves, left Dallas reeling. The Stars’ Game 1 curse struck again, making it their seventh straight Stanley Cup playoff series opener loss.

For months, a deeper fear gnawed at fans: a three-month stretch without Miro Heiskanen, the team’s defensive cornerstone. The sinking pit in every fan’s stomach came from imagining how Dallas would fare without him against one of hockey’s most lethal attackers, MacKinnon. Add Jason Robertson’s week-to-week injury, and the Stars were shorthanded against a Colorado team that’s won seven of their last nine Game 1s.

I’m sorry but the green lights up the staircases at this Stars game are fucking horrendous and so distracting. Two years in a row the Stars doing some weird shit nobody asked for at the start of the playoffs. Grow up

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 20, 2025

While the loss stung, the conversation kept circling back to those lights. For a team fighting to shake off a rough stretch and prove doubters wrong, the last thing they needed was their own arena’s ambiance stealing the show. The Stars have time to regroup before Game 2, but here’s hoping they dim the distractions—literally and figuratively. With injuries, a tough opponent, and a fanbase craving a win, Dallas needs to shine where it counts: on the ice. Fans love the Stars’ passion, but they’re begging for a vibe check.

Fans call out distracting light show at Dallas Stars Stanley Cup playoff game

The display, featuring an array of colorful lights, was meant to energize the crowd, but instead drew criticism for its chaotic and distracting presentation. Fans took to social media to voice their frustrations, describing the light show as disorganized and visually unappealing. One fan remarked, “100%. the lack of alignment makes them look like sloppy Christmas lights, it’s so visually displeasing,” highlighting the lack of coherence in the display’s design. Another fan remarked, “Looks like the arena crew strung up some lanterns they picked up at Costco,” using humor to critique the low-budget appearance of the setup.

Another fan quipped, “just bc it’s the American Airlines center doesn’t mean that they had to make the arena look like a drunk runway,” poking fun at the venue’s branding and the erratic light patterns. Finally, one fan noted, “Someone tell the Stars that St Patrick’s Day is over,” mocking the green-heavy color scheme that felt out of place for a playoff game. The fan reactions reflect a consensus that the light show was a misstep, detracting from the high-energy atmosphere expected at an NHL playoff game.

Posts on X and fan forums from the 2024-2025 season, including discussions about the Stars’ playoff games, substantiate these complaints. Fans have previously criticized similar in-arena visual effects, such as overly bright LED displays and unsynchronized lighting, for pulling focus from the ice. For instance, during the 2023-2024 playoffs, X users described the arena’s light shows as “tacky” and “overwhelming,” sentiments echoed in the current reactions.

The volume and consistency of these complaints, both historically and in recent posts, confirm that the light show’s poor synchronization and garish presentation disrupted the viewing experience, making it a focal point of fan discontent rather than a source of excitement.

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