The Dallas Stars kick off a weekend road trip in Philadelphia this afternoon against the red-hot Flyers. Do they have what it takes to stop Philly’s winning streak in its tracks?
Wake up, Stars fans and get ready for some hockey. The Dallas Stars have departed from the friendly confines of Big D for 48 hours as they endure a quick two-game road swing to the North. They start it up today against the surging Philadelphia Flyers.
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 12:00 p.m. from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Records and Scores
The Dallas Stars come into today’s game boasting a record of 11-11-6 with 28 points. They sit one point out of the final wild card spot with two games in hand and two points out of third place in the Central Division. Their most recent game comes as a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. They are 2-3-0 in their last five contests.
The Philadelphia Flyers, on the other hand, are making a run for the top spot in the East. They currently boast a record of 16-10-3 with 35 points. They are holding onto the last wild card spot in the East, and are four points from the top of their division. The Flyers most recent game comes as a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers and they are an undefeated 5-0-0 in their last five games.
Storylines
Philly is flying past everyone
On Black Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers fell in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. It was their tenth regulation loss of the season and pushed them further out of the playoff picture.
But they miraculously turned the ship around overnight. Since that loss, the Flyers have won seven straight games. They have outscored their opponents 27-17 in the span and defeated teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and Ottawa Senators.
The Flyers are looking to pin an eighth straight win to their record this afternoon, while the Stars are trying to start up a winning streak of their own. It’s a battle of wits. Which team wants it more?
It’s always sunny against Philadelphia
The Flyers may be surging at the moment, but if anyone can ground them, it’s probably the Dallas Stars. At least that’s what recent history says.
Throughout the last three seasons, the Stars have posted a 4-1-1 record against the Flyers. Last year, they swept Philly with a close 2-1 win in October and a 3-1 win in December.
Jamie Benn scored a goal in each of the two games, while Seguin tallied a goal in the first game and assist in the second.
The Stars seem to have the Flyers’ number over the past couple of seasons, and it will be interesting to see whether they still have it on lock down this year. The Flyers have been a playoff team in two of the past three years as well, so they’ve always been a competitive team to square off against. Can Dallas solve them once more this afternoon?
“You shall not pass.” -Niemi, probably
While the starting goaltender for Dallas won’t be known until warm-ups due to the noon start time, one guess is as good as the other.
Kari Lehtonen is currently riding a rather impressive streak. Over the last three games, he is 2-1-0 with a .948 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average. That includes a shutout three games back against the Colorado Avalanche.
But Antti Niemi might be the smarter choice for this matchup. Throughout his history against the Flyers, Niemi is 4-1-0 with a .947 save percentage and 1.48 GAA. Lehtonen, on the other hand, is 1-10-3 with a .891 save percentage and 3.49 GAA.
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Last season, Niemi won both games for the Stars, saving 53-55 for a .963 save percentage and 1.00 GAA. But on the downside, Niemi has not played in over a week (12/1 vs. Pittsburgh).
This will likely be the biggest storyline to follow prior to puck drop. Do you ride the hot hand with Lehtonen or go for the historical track record and pick Niemi?
Injury report
The Dallas Stars will be without D Julius Honka (arm) and LW Patrick Sharp (concussion). D Johnny Oduya (lower body) and LW Jiri Hudler (illness) are game-time decisions. C Mattias Janmark (knee) and RW Ales Hemsky (hip) are still on long term injured reserve.
The Philadelphia Flyers will be minus the services of RW Matt Read (oblique), G Michal Neuvirth (lower body), and C Sean Couturier (knee) this afternoon.
Projected lines
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Jason Spezza
Antoine Roussel – Radek Faksa – Brett Ritchie
Lauri Korpikoski – Cody Eakin – Patrick Eaves
Curtis McKenzie – Devin Shore – Adam Cracknell
Patrik Nemeth – Jamie Oleksiak
Antti Niemi
Kari Lehtonen
Philadelphia Flyers
Michael Raffl – Claude Giroux – Jakub Voracek
Travis Konecny – Brayden Schenn – Wayne Simmonds
Taylor Leier – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Dale Weise
Chris VandeVelde – Nick Cousins – Roman Lyubimov
Ivan Provorov – Andrew MacDonald
Brandon Manning – Shayne Gostisbehere
Next: Stars' Weekend Carrying An Extreme Amount Of Weight
Prediction
This is a tough one. While I liked what I saw from the Stars on Thursday night in their dominant win, I don’t know if their inconsistency this season is enough to overpower a team that has won seven straight. Give me Dallas dropping 3-2 in overtime.