Dallas Stars Face New Test On Road vs. Hurricanes
The Dallas Stars began November play on Monday night and did not start off on the right foot. After losing 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Stars redeemed themselves with a 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins the following night. They will now look to carry that style of play into their matchup Friday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes on the road.
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 6:00 p.m. from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Records and Scores
The Dallas Stars continue to stride through their 2015-2016 season. There are only three blemishes currently on their record, and each have been decisive losses. But the Stars have plenty more wins, currently sitting with a record of 10-3-0 with 20 points. They sit first place in the Western Conference and second overall in the NHL. Their most recent game comes as a stellar 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins. They are 4-1-0 in their last five games.
The Carolina Hurricanes, on the other hand, are still finding ways to stay above water. The Hurricanes are currently 5-7-0 with 10 points, which is good enough for seventh place in the Metropolitan Division and 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Their most recent game comes as a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday night. They are 3-2-0 in their last five games.
Storylines
The Dallas Stars top line can defeat anyone
The Stars offense is really good, that seems to be a given at this point. The team is currently in second place throughout the NHL for goals scored, and does not seem to be slowing down in any fashion. But what is it that truly makes them a dominant threat? Well, it’s obviously the first line. Led by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, the Stars top line has struck fear into the hearts of their opponents.
Out of the 13 games the Stars have competed in this year, only one stands without either of these players tallying a point. Both players are currently tied for the top spot for most points throughout the NHL. Both have 20 points (Benn 10-10-20) (Seguin 8-12-20), and it is not the least bit crazy to assume that one will have a multi-point night tonight. With a surprisingly strong offensive lineup behind them, the Stars top line is in a good spot to continue leading their team to victory.
Hurricanes struggling on offense
The Carolina Hurricanes spent the 2015 offseason trying to improve some of their weakest links. In effect, they ended up trading for Vancouver Canucks backup goaltender Eddie Lack and Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski.
While these moves improved their crease and blue line, the Hurricanes neglected to improve another significant area: their offense. So far this season, Carolina is 27th in the goals for category at a mere 2.17. They have only scored 26 goals in their 12 games, while the Stars have 46 through 15 games. The Canes have invested a lot in their back end, but they can never win if they cannot score.
Injury report:
The Dallas Stars will be minus the services of F Travis Moen (upper body), F Curtis McKenzie (lower body), F Brett Ritchie (wrist), and F Patrick Eaves (lower body). F Ales Hemsky (hip) is a game-time decision.
The Carolina Hurricanes will play without D James Wisniewski (knee).
Projected lines
More from Blackout Dallas
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- Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
- Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Jason Spezza
Mattias Janmark – Cody Eakin – Patrick Sharp
Antoine Roussel – Vernon Fiddler – Colton Sceviour
Devin Shore – Radek Faksa – Valeri Nichushkin
Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg
Carolina Hurricanes
Eric Staal – Jordan Staal – Elias Lindholm
Nathan Gerbe – Victor Rask – Kris Versteeg
Jeff Skinner – Riley Nash – Chris Terry
Andrej Nestrasil – Jay McClement – Brock McGinn
John-Michael Liles – Brett Pesce
Eddie Lack
Next: Stars News: Seguin Touching More Hearts, Playoff Projections
Prediction
This one just simply looks like a battle between a team looking to continue their drive and a team holding nothing back in order to stay somewhat in the race. Although the Stars seem to be struggling this year against failing teams, I see the Stars taking this one 4-2 tonight. Kari Lehtonen stops 29 of 31 as the Stars take their 11th win of the year.