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.

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