Dallas Stars vs. Nashville Predators – Game Preview

The Dallas Stars will look to regain their composure and win their first game in two weeks tonight when they face off against the Nashville Predators. This will be the second meeting of the two teams, with the Predators winning the first game in Nashville by a score of 4-1 back on October 11th. The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports – Southwest (FSSW), and you can also hear it on 1310AM/96.7FM The Ticket. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM CST at the American Airlines Center.

Records and Scores

The Dallas Stars currently sit at a record of 4-4-4, dead at .500 which is good enough for sixth place in the Central Division, and cannot seem to find a way to get their fifth win. They have dropped five straight contests, and have gained one point from two of the games. After starting the season at 0-1-1 and then enjoying a six-game point streak that led to a 4-1-2 record, they have hit the hardest skid of the season to date. Their most recent performance came as a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, who had been lacking a win just like the Stars for an extended amount of time. The Dallas Stars are 0-1-0 against the Predators this year and will look to salvage their first win against one of the best teams in the West.

The Nashville Predators are 7-3-2, good enough for second place in the Central Division, and they are on quite the hot streak considering the expectations many had for them at the beginning of the year. They are 2-3-0 in their last five and have had some trouble closing out games in their last few. Their most recent game was a loss on Tuesday night at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, who have sprung up to one point behind the Predators in the Central.

Storylines

Could the Dallas Stars stop coasting?

The Stars have simply hit a rough, rough patch through their last few games, and it is all at the cost of a recurring strategy in their game. They have not figured out a way to play for the entire 60-minute duration of the game. The lineup is back to normal except Patrik Nemeth and there are no more excuses to use. They simply must learn how to play a fast-paced and intense game for all three periods and whatever might lay beyond that frame. They have constantly built up a lead and then handed it over to the opposing team, such as their games against St. Louis and Los Angeles. They also have learned how to not skate or give any effort whatsoever and let another team build a lead, like the Anaheim and Minnesota game. Lindy Ruff put it plainly in practice yesterday, saying, “Instead of finding a way to win, we are finding a way to beat ourselves.” Ruff held a private meeting with the team late Tuesday night after the game, so you know he made sure everything he had in mind was heard and understood by the players. Will they learn how to produce through their hard work and effort in order to cap a win tonight against the Predators?

Former Stars blossoming in Nashville

A few familiar faces will make their way to the American Airlines Center tomorrow night for a reunion with their former team, the Dallas Stars. These names include Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro, James Neal, and Eric Nystrom. All these names are off to tremendous starts with the Predators, especially Mike Ribeiro and James Neal. Ribeiro currently sits second in total points for Nashville with 10 while Neal sits in first in the total goals category. These two were both traded by Dallas, with Ribeiro resulting in the acquisition of Cody Eakin and Neal resulting in Alex Goligoski suiting up in Big D. These two will come with sympathy as well as a taste for revenge when they visit tonight. Will the shaky Stars defense be able to control them?

Injury report

The Dallas Stars will be missing Patrik Nemeth tonight due to a season-ending arm laceration suffered back in October. Sergei Gonchar is questionable after a muscle strain kept him out of practice today. Cody Eakin also sat out today but is highly likely to play tomorrow.

The Nashville Predators will be without Mike Fisher due to an Achilles injury.

Projected lines

Dallas Stars (from practice yesterday without Eakin or Gonchar)

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Valeri Nichushkin

Antoine Roussel – Jason Spezza – Ales Hemsky

Patrick Eaves – Vernon Fiddler – Ryan Garbutt

Erik Cole – Shawn Horcoff – Colton Sceviour

Alex Goligoski – Trevor Daley

Jordie Benn – Brenden Dillon

Kevin Connauton – Jamie Oleksiak

Kari Lehtonen

Anders Lindback

Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg – Mike Ribeiro – James Neal

Matt Cullen – Derek Roy – Craig Smith

Olli Jokinen – Colin Wilson – Taylor Beck

Gabriel Bourque – Paul Gaustad – Eric Nystrom

Roman Josi – Shea Weber

Victor Bartley – Seth Jones

Mattias Ekholm – Ryan Ellis

Pekka Rinne

Carter Hutton

Prediction:

The Dallas Stars started last January at a record of 1-8-1 through their first 10 games before Ruff cancelled practice the day after a loss to the Predators to straighten things out. The Stars went 7-1-2 in the next 10 games. These meetings that Ruff calls into action have some sort of magic attached to them, so I see the Stars finally getting the win that gets them back on track tonight, coming up big against the Predators, at a final score of 5-2. Lehtonen stops 29 of 31 and the Stars claim two points for the first time in two weeks.