Dallas Stars vs. Chicago Blackhawks 2014 Home Opener PREVIEW
The Dallas Stars will (finally!) open the 2014-15 regular season on Thursday night, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center. This will be the first of five matchups between the squads this season, and the Stars are looking to put the Central Division on notice by taking down the perennially contending ‘Hawks. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest, and the radio broadcast will be available on 1310 AM as well as streaming on DallasStars.com.
Records and Scores
The Stars finished the preseason at 4-2-0, losing both games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not a lot to say there, except that the team has a glut of prospects nearing NHL readiness- and that Cody Eakin and Brenden Dillon did not participate. Their 2013-14 campaign was a successful one, as their 40-31-11 record landed them their first playoff berth in six seasons. They eventually fell in the first round to the Anaheim Ducks after six games.
The Blackhawks went 2-3-1 during the preseason, although that worries exactly nobody. With a 2013-14 record of 46-21-15, they fell just short of the Stanley Cup Final by surrendering an overtime goal to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final. They are the favorite of many to represent the Western Conference in the Cup Final next June.
Storylines
Dallas Stars
The last time a Dallas Stars squad was this hyped in the preseason, people were playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on Sony Playstation and freaking out about the Y2K bug. The year was 1999, and the Stars were the reigning champs. While not necessarily being touted as a Cup favorite, this year’s edition is riding a wave of enthusiasm after making the playoffs and landing some big pieces in the offseason.
Jason Spezza comes to Dallas via an off-season trade that sent Alex Chiasson and a couple prospects to Ottawa. He, along with linemate and fellow former Senator Ales Hemsky, is expected to make an immediate impact on the offensive end and in the face-off circle. Other new faces include forward Patrick Eaves and netminder Anders Lindback.
With an upgraded forward unit, another season of experience, and the ever-improving play and leadership of captain Jamie Benn, the Dallas Stars are a club on the rise. Goaltender Kari Lehtonen is rock-solid when healthy, and the new power play should experience a boost from last year. However, this is a young club that is still finding it’s identity and will experience some turbulence as the group begins to gel. Even in a stacked Central Division, anything short of another playoff appearance would be a disappointment, while a deep playoff run is a distinct possibility.
Chicago Blackhawks
While they aren’t the Western Conference champs, or even the Central Division champs, the Chicago Blackhawks are still the standard-bearers of the entire NHL. In the past six seasons they have topped 100 points four times (five if you prorate for the 2012-13 lockout year), appeared in four Conference Finals and won two Stanley Cups. Their offseason was relatively quiet, which is to say they’re still stocked with elite talent.
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Culturess
The Blackhawks’ biggest offseason transaction was the inking of dual $84 million extensions for superstar forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. They also acquired another solid center, 13-year veteran and former Dallas Star Brad Richards. The only notable departure was LW Brandon Bollig, who was traded to Calgary for a future draft pick.
The secret for the Blackhawks is puck-possession dominance. Smart and timely passing is used to minimize opportunity and maximize misery for opponents. In the event that somebody should land a shot on goal, Corey Crawford provides above-average goaltending. Put simply, they win by making fewer mistakes than the other guys.
Injury Reports
For the Stars, defender Sergei Gonchar is on Injured Reserve for 3-5 weeks while recovering from a puck to the ankle incurred during the Stars’ final preseason tilt against Tampa Bay. Jamie Oleksiak will suit up in his stead. Forward Rich Peverley remains on Non-Injured Reserve.
Forward Kris Versteeg will miss three weeks for the Blackhawks with a lower-body injury. Ben Smith is expected to replace Versteeg in the lineup.
Projected Line Combinations
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Valeri Nichushkin
Patrick Eaves – Jason Spezza – Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussell – Cody Eakin – Ryan Garbutt
Shawn Horcoff – Vernon Fiddler – Colton Sceviour
Trevor Daley – Alex Goligoski
Jordie Benn – Brenden Dillon
Jamie Oleksiak – Patrik Nemeth
Kari Lehtonen
Chicago Blackhawks
Patrick Sharp – Jonathan Toews – Marian Hossa
Brandon Saad – Andrew Shaw – Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell – Brad Richards – Jeremy Morin
Dan Carcillo – Marcus Kruger – Ben Smith
Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson – Trevor van Riemsdyk
David Runblad – Johnny Oduya
Corey Crawford
Final Score Prediction
While the Stars certainly have their arrow pointed up, they still have a ways to go in terms of line chemistry and won’t reach their full potential until the second quarter of the season. I believe the Stars will beat the Blackhawks, though. Just not this time. The red light will be busy as the Blackhawks take it in overtime, 5-4.
Who do you like for tonight’s game? Feel free to drop a line, and visit Blackout Dallas for postgame coverage!
Update: Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports that Erik Cole will be a healthy scratch tonight, after being late for practice on Monday. Patrick Eaves will replace Cole on the second line. The post’s line projections now reflect this news.