Dallas Stars vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Preview
Happy weekend, Stars fans! The Dallas Stars (2-1-0) are riding high, and looking to capitalize on a wave of fresh momentum as they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers (0-2-2) on Saturday night at American Airlines Center. Opening faceoff is at 7 p.m. CST, and the game can be seen on Fox Sports Southwest or heard on the radio via 1310 The Ticket.
Records and Scores
The Stars return to Dallas after posting a 2-1-0 record on their most recent road trip. After an underwhelming 4-1 loss in Nashville and a spirited 4-2 victory in Columbus, the team landed their first signature win of the season in an emotional 3-2 comeback against Pittsburgh. The top scoring line comes in red hot, with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin accounting for nine points (six goals, three assists) in the last two games. Netminder Kari Lehtonen stopped 60 of 64 shots in the same span. This is the first of three consecutive home games for the Stars.
The Philadelphia Flyers embark on their first road trip of the season and are still searching for their first win. They’ve come close in their last two tilts, but couldn’t close the deal in shootout losses at home against the Canadiens and Ducks. The team’s early star is RW Wayne Simmonds, who has tallied seven points (five goals, two assists) in four games. With theories abound to explain the slow start, one thing is for sure: their early schedule is tough. After early matchups against Boston, Montreal, and Anaheim, their road schedule comprises of trips to Chicago and Pittsburgh after the stop in Dallas.
Storylines
Stars are Top-Heavy
As per usual, Benn and Seguin have accounted for the lion’s share of scoring (six of the team’s ten total goals) thus far. While the duo’s potent output is welcome and encouraged, it shows a poor early return on the team’s offseason moves. Jason Spezza (three assists) and Ales Hemsky (one assist) have certainly been contributors, but so far those contributions have been limited mostly to the power play. Spezza had a great finish while assisting with the deciding two goals in Pittsburgh, and coach Lindy Ruff will continue to shuffle lines, but the fact remains that the second line has yet to register a goal of it’s own. Spezza in particular was brought in to interrupt opponent’s use of top defenders on Benn and Seguin, but that doesn’t mean much if his presence doesn’t worry the opposing coach. Lehtonen will be in net, and is still looking for his first win against the Flyers. His career record against Philly is 0-10-2, although his .891 save percentage suggests he has played adequately. Making his NHL debut will be forward Curtis Mckenzie, who is expected to dress in place of Colton Sceviour.
Takeoff Delayed for Flyers
The Flyers are pegged by many to make the playoffs this year, but their season-to-date suggests otherwise. Sure, they’ve had a tough schedule so far. Their power play is sixth in the league (29.6%) and their penalty kill is eleventh (90.0%). That leaves their even-strength production as the primary suspect: six goals scored against twelve goals allowed. Like the Stars, they’ve yet to put together a complete sixty-minute game. This was highlighted by a blown 3-0 lead against Montreal, where they lost 4-3 in the shootout.
Injury Report
For the Stars, Valeri Nichushkin is still nursing a groin/hip pointer, and won’t be available. After practice on Friday, Ruff mentioned that Erik Cole missed practice due to illness, though he should be available at gametime. Sergei Gonchar remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
The Flyers’ Kimmo Timonen remains out indefinitely as he recovers from treatment for blood clots in his lungs. Vincent Lecavalier is out with a bruised foot, and Braydon Coburn is a gametime decision with a lower body injury.
Projected Line Combinations
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Eaves
Erik Cole – Jason Spezza- Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussel- Cody Eakin- Ryan Garbutt
Shawn Horcoff- Vernon Fiddler- Curtis McKenzie
Alex Goligoski- Trevor Daley
Brenden Dillon- Jordie Benn
Kevin Connauton- Patrik Nemeth
Kari Lehtonen
Philadelphia Flyers
Michael Raffl – Claude Giroux – Jakub Voracek
Brayden Schenn – Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – Wayne Simmonds
R.J. Umberger – Sean Couterier – Matt Read
Zac Rinaldo – Blair Jones – Jason Akeson
Nicklass Grossman – Mark Streit
Andrew MacDonald – Nick Schultz
Michael Del Zotto – Luke Schenn
Steve Mason
Prediction
I see the Stars coming out strong, riding the home crowd energy and momentum carried over from Pittsburgh. Lehtonen stops 25 shots, and the Stars take it 3-1.
Check back for postgame highlights and analysis!