Dallas Stars @ Winnipeg Jets: Preview
The Dallas Stars will conclude their Canadian road trip tonight in Winnipeg, Manitoba as they take on the Jets at MTS Centre. A win would mean four out of a possible six points on the road trip. The Stars are currently four points out of playoff position, and can pull within two depending on the outcomes of the Kings’ and Flames’ games. Puck drop is 6 p.m. CST, and the game can be seen locally on TXA-21.
Records and Scores
The Dallas Stars (22-19-7) will be looking to avenge their January 15 home loss to the Jets, in which they pelted Ondrej Pavelec with 47 shots but managed only one goal. They’ve been playing some of their best hockey since the break, but still lost 3-2 at Montreal before a 6-3 win at Ottawa.
The Winnipeg Jets (26-16-8) are 2-0-0 against the Stars this season, and could seal up the season series with a win tonight. The two clubs will meet only once more this year, in Winnipeg on February 24. Winnipeg headed into the all-star break with a five-game winning streak, but have allowed ten goals in their two games since (both road losses at Philly and Pittsburgh). They currently sit fourth in the Central Division with 60 points.
Storylines
At Least Nobody’s Saying They’re Boring
The Dallas Stars season so far has been excruciatingly unpredictable, and head coach Lindy Ruff continues to play Whack-A-Mole with myriad issues as they come up. The offense is spectacular, and the defense/goaltending is decidedly not. The special teams are a tease at times, and a disaster at others. And no team in hockey gets more comfortable with a lead than the boys in Victory Green. They’re starting to forge an identity, and by that I mean they seem to be comfortable needing four or more goals every night if they want to win games. Despite their penchant for mediocrity, they have still delivered to the fans a shot at another playoff appearance.
If the NHL ever wanted to drum up interest from scoring-obsessed American football fans, they need only to point to the Dallas Stars. The average Dallas Stars contest involves 6.37 goals between both teams, and no other team in the league averages even a touchdown’s worth. They score in bunches, and allow bunches more. They have flaws, inexperience, and sometimes a lack of discipline. But they also have heart, and so we love them.
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Jets/Stars: One of Them Must Fall Out of the Sky
If the Stars are going to find a way into playoff position, then somebody else must be displaced. The six teams currently fighting for the two spots are the Jets, Flames, Kings, Avs, Stars, and Wild. Assuming the Stars can fend off the Wild and Avalanche, and that the Kings will go into their typical late-season powerhouse mode and jump a few spots, that leaves the Flames and Jets (current possessors of both spots) as potential prey for Dallas. A win tonight would be doubly effective in this hunt for glory, as a Jets loss is equally as valuable as a Stars win.
Injury Report
For the Stars, Erik Cole (upper body) and Brett Ritchie (undisclosed) are questionable. Valeri Nichushkin (groin), Patrik Nemeth (arm), and Rich Peverley (chest) are out.
For the Jets, Matt Halischuk (undisclosed) and Grant Clitsome (upper body) are out.
Projected Line Combinations
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Eaves
Shawn Horcoff – Jason Spezza – Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussell – Cody Eakin – Ryan Garbutt
Travis Moen – Vernon Fiddler – Colton Sceviour
Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg
David Schlemko – Trevor Daley
Jordie Benn – Jason Demers
Kari Lehtonen
Anders Lindback
Winnipeg Jets
Andrew Ladd – Bryan Little – Blake Wheeler
Mathieu Perreault – Mark Scheifele – Michael Frolik
Evander Kane – Adam Lowry – Chris Thorburn
T.J. Galiardi – Jim Slater – Anthony Peluso
Tobias Enstrom – Dustin Byfuglien
Ben Chiarot – Zach Bogosian
Mark Stuart – Jacob Trouba
Ondrej Pavelec
Michael Hutchinson
Prediction
The Stars will find a way to solve Pavelec tonight to the tune of four goals. The last will break a tie in the third period and the Stars will hold on for a 4-3- win. Check back to Blackout Dallas for postgame coverage and analysis!