Dallas Stars News: Lineup Changes, Schedule For Second Round
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are bound for the second round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But before they get going with Game 1 on Thursday night, let’s take a look at some recent updates.
On Wednesday night, the NHL will wrap up the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Game 7 between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. Following that, it’s off to round two. That’s exciting news for the Dallas Stars.
The Stars spent Monday night wrapping up their opening round series against the Nashville Predators. It was a thrilling Game 6 affair at a sold-out American Airlines Center that ended up being pushed to overtime. That’s where, on the 99th combined shot between Dallas and Nashville, John Klingberg scored the game-winning goal that officially grabbed a 4-2 series win for the Stars.
It was a monumental win for Dallas. After falling short of the postseason in each of the past two season, the Stars clinched a wild card spot in Game 80 of the 2018-19 season and were pitted against the Central division champions.
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And although they faced a season of challenges and adversity with a new head coach, new players, front office drama, and a tight Western Conference race, the Stars took it to the Predators in round one. They were the better team in five of the six first-round contests, winning two of the three games at Bridgestone Arena and putting the pressure on Nashville to bring their best game. When they fell short, the Stars made sure to capitalize.
On Monday night, the Dallas Stars won their first series-clinching game on home ice since 2008 and advanced to the second round for just the second time in 11 years. They looked more determined and hungrier in round one against a Predators team with a strong playoff resume and deserved the series win.
Their next task is to keep the hot streak rolling as they square up against a tough St. Louis Blues team in round two.
The series will once again pit the Stars against a divisional rival. But this time around, a trip to the Western Conference Final will be on the line.
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While the Stars eliminated the Predators in a six-game bout in round one on Monday, the Blues eliminated the Winnipeg Jets in six games on Saturday.
And while the Dallas Stars won the regular season series against the Blues with a record of 3-1-0, this is a St. Louis Blues team that has been surging for months since sitting in last place in the NHL at the turn of the 2019 calendar year.
So, there’s a lot to unpack with this series and it really could go either way at this point. Game 1 should provide a good perspective of where this matchup could truly go.
But before the puck drops and we get underway, let’s take a look at some Dallas Stars updates from Wednesday.
Injuries and changes to the lineup
Wednesday was a practice day for the Stars before they boarded their flight for St. Louis. It was a chance to get back on the ice after spending Tuesday away from the rink and get back into a groove before starting up the second round.
This is how they lined up in practice:
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Brett Ritchie
Jason Dickinson – Roope Hintz – Valeri Nichushkin
Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau
Mattias Janmark – Justin Dowling – Jason Spezza
Esa Lindell – John Klingberg
There were a few key names missing when comparing it to their lineup from Game 6 on Monday night.
Jamie Oleksiak was missing from the third pairing during practice as Taylor Fedun filled in. It was announced following practice that Oleksiak will miss Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury. Fedun will be reinserted on the third pairing after serving as the healthy scratch in Games 3-6 of the first round.
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Alexander Radulov, Mats Zuccarello, and Tyler Pitlick all had maintenance days but are healthy and ready to play. Radulov will retake the first line right wing spot (filled in practice by Ritchie), while Zuccarello will retake the second line right wing spot (filled in practice by Nichushkin).
Pitlick’s spot might be part of a difficult decision, though. Mattias Janmark, who missed the last four games of the first-round series against Nashville with a lower-body injury, is expected to play in Game 1 on Thursday night. If that is the case, it’s likely that one of Pitlick, Dowling, or Spezza will serve as the healthy scratch. Montgomery spoke highly of Pitlick’s performance in Game 6, while Spezza and Dowling have provided certain intangibles that have helped the Stars click in the past few contests.
If Janmark is back in, where will he go? We’ll find out on Thursday morning.
Second round schedule announced
The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues will kick off their second-round series on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Enterprise Center. And while we don’t know when the other games in the series will be played, we at least have the dates.
Thursday, April 25: Dallas @ St. Louis, 8:30 p.m., NBSCN, WBAP 820-AM (radio)
Saturday, April 27: Dallas @ St. Louis, TBD, TBD
Monday, April 29: St. Louis @ Dallas, TBD, TBD
Wednesday, May 1: St. Louis @ Dallas, TBD, TBD
*Friday, May 3: Dallas @ St. Louis, TBD, TBD
*Sunday, May 5: St. Louis @ Dallas, TBD, TBD
*Tuesday, May 7: Dallas @ St. Louis, TBD, TBD
* if necessary
None of the games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest considering the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is reserved for national channels. But Josh Bogorad and Daryl ‘Razor’ Reaugh’s call of the game can still be found on the radio (either on WBAP 820-AM or Sportsradio 1310/96.7 FM The Ticket, depending on the day of the game). Immediately following each game in the second round, Stars LIVE will air on Fox Sports Southwest, with Brian Rea and Brent Severyn giving a postgame breakdown and reaction as well as a reaction from Bogorad and Reaugh at either the Enterprise Center or American Airlines Center.
The times and broadcast outlets for Games 2-4 will be announced later on Wednesday evening, while the information for Games 5-7 will be released if and when it becomes necessary.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Dallas Stars after a Monday night victory. But that’s what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about.
Next. A Real Thriller: Stars End Opening Series On Perfect Note. dark
“Right now, we’re not thinking about ‘We’re 8 of 31.’ We’re thinking about St. Louis,” said Stars coach Jim Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s nice that we’re 8 of 31, but St. Louis is what matters to us right now.”