The running joke with the Dallas Stars is that this entire season is their version of “The Last Dance,” minus the championships, titles and victory parades.

When Tom Gaglardi bought the franchise and saved it from bankruptcy in November of 2011, he thought he had a nucleus similar to the Chicago Blackhawks when that franchise was in a run of winning three Stanley Cups in seven years.

Gaglardi has owned the franchise for 11 seasons, and it just has not quite lined up to win one Cup, much less three.

On Sunday night in Calgary, the Stars completed the historic back-to-back Game 7s for the primary tenants at the American Airlines Center.

Despite a historic performance from goalie Jake Oettinger, who stopped damn near everything but COVID, the Stars lost 3-2 in overtime against the Flames.

Oettinger stopped 61 shots but it was the one he barely allowed in at the 15:09 mark of overtime that ended it.

The game-winner needed a five-inch window over Oettinger’s right shoulder to clear the cross bar, and the puck actually made its way into the net.

The Flames won the series, 4-3; given the putrid nature of the Stars offense, the club should throw a parade for Oettinger.