Dallas Stars: Way Too Early Predictions For Opening Night

Opening night is not until October 13 for the Dallas Stars. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some early predictions on this quiet Sunday, does it?

No, you did not just wake up from a coma and realize that the Dallas Stars open up their 2016-17 regular season play in the next few days. That’s what the “way too early” part of the title was supposed to clarify.

Sadly, it is still July 31, 2016. It’s a Sunday, so things are extra slow today. And to top the sadness off, the NHL regular season is still over two months away from starting up.

There is still plenty of hockey to be played between now and then, though. With the World Cup of Hockey, training camp, and the preseason all starting up in mid-September, there will be plenty to follow starting September 17th. But until then, we can do nothing but dream.

So dreaming we shall do! Why not make some extremely premature predictions about the Dallas Stars’ season opener at home on October 13th against the Anaheim Ducks? Here are a couple of modest and legitimate estimations about the first night of the 16-17 year for Dallas. Feel free to disagree, but it won’t help you much.

Let’s go ahead and go with five quick predictions. Let me know what you think about them in the comments below. As a reminder, these are not my BOLD predictions. Those will come later in the coming weeks. These are simply predictions that have a rather good chance of happening (I’m not going too far off the cliff, in other words).

1. The Rooster will make a big splash

Not many hockey players have the ability to get under an entire team’s skin easier than Antoine Roussel. But when the Anaheim Ducks square up against Dallas, a whole new animal is unleashed in the feisty Frenchman.

In nine regular season games against the Ducks over the past three seasons, Roussel scored four goals and racked up 28 penalty minutes. That means that just about nine percent of his total goals  scored over the past three seasons have been scored in these nine games.

Not to mention the three assists and 27 penalty minutes that he accumulated in the six-game playoff series against Anaheim in 2014. He just really does not like that Corey Perry or Ryan Getzlaf. A season opener against the Ducks should have Roussel’s fingerprints all over it, whether that means a goal or fight. Or both. That would be totally acceptable.

2. Antti Niemi will start in net

Honestly, it’s a 50/50 race at this point in time. The preseason is not even here yet, and neither goaltender has had an opportunity to prove himself yet.

But last season, Niemi’s heroics were established early on in the year during the season opener against Pittsburgh. Niemi cruised to a 37-save shutout, making it look easy the entire way and giving Dallas fans an excellent first impression. I think Antti has a good shot at the crease for game one.

3. Dan Hamhuis will tally a point

The newest Dallas Stars’ defenseman will be in the starting lineup and looking to make his name known. Hamhuis has seen a drop in offensive production over the past few years, but on the Stars blue line, anything is possible.

Watch for Hamhuis to find a way and notch either a goal or assist on opening night. He knows the Ducks well after playing in the Pacific Division against them for three years, so he’ll be ready to help out the Stars early and often.

4. Someone will get in a fight

The Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks quickly became rivals after their first round matchup in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The series lasted six games with the Ducks coming out victorious with a 4-2 edge, but every game was full of intensity. At one point, you could probably feel the hate radiating off the ice if you were in attendance at any of the games.

Long story short, these two teams don’t like each other. Stars fans love to hate Perry and Getzlaf, as well as anyone else skating around in a Ducks jersey. It’s just how it goes.

Not to mention that the Ducks now have Ryan Garbutt on their side. The former Star loves to drop the mitts, further alluding to the fact that the possibilities of rustling are endless. Opening night will be a physical one, that’s for sure.

5. The Dallas Stars will win

You can call this prediction whatever you want. It’s not necessarily a bold one, especially considering the season the Stars are coming off of. The Ducks ended up winning the Pacific Division last year, but were extinguished in seven games in the first round by the Nashville Predators.

But the Stars always know how to treat their fans on opening night at home, at least as of late. Over the last four years of home openers, the Stars are 2-1-1. The overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks could have seen a different outcome based on a controversial no-call. The loss to the Florida Panthers was due to a lack of offensive support.

must read: A Stars Fan's Guide To Surviving The Dreadful Offseason

Meanwhile, the Stars beat the Arizona Coyotes in 2013 in a thrilling opening to the lockout season and recently stomped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on October 8, 2015.

They love to put on an exciting show to kick things off, so give me the Stars winning 3-1. Should I screenshot this so I can brag about it when it actually happens? Fat chance.

So there ya go, folks. Some crazy predictions, huh? But it’s Sunday, and there’s nothing major to report on. Except for the fact that Blackout Dallas is about to break it’s all-time record today in views for a month! The previous record was set in June 2015 during all of the mess with trades and rumors that the Stars were involved in.

Next: When Exactly Do The Stars Hit The Ice Again?

But from all of us at BD, we want to thank all of y’all for your continued support! The fact that you tune back in each day is absolutely flattering, and we are honored to have y’all as fans. I can remember two years ago when this site was in serious turmoil and struggling heavily. But now we are rocking and growing exponentially each month, and we have you all to thank!

Thanks again, everyone. Enjoy your Sunday and here’s to many more months of breaking records down the road. As the Dallas Stars rise, so will we. And it’s because of y’all that we have the opportunity to.