Dallas Stars Look To Leave St. Louis Blue
Having greeted the break by besting the Blackhawks, the Dallas Stars will look to get back to business and defeat the Blues.
There will be no easing back into the swing of things for the Dallas Stars, who take on the St. Louis Blues in the first game of a back to back tonight in Missouri.
The puck will drop at 7 PM CT at Scottrade Center. The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Southwest Plus (FSSW+), and1310 AM/96.7 FM The Ticket.
Scores and Records
The Dallas Stars got what we would have all called a Christmas miracle in the preseason- they are leaving Christmas break behind them with a 26-7-2 record and 54 points, keeping them at the top of the NHL.
Most recently downing the Blackhawks in a dramatic fashion, the Stars will hopefully be up to the task against their central division opponent, whom they will play twice in the next two nights.
The St. Louis Blues, with 46 points and a 21-11-4 record, sit behind the Stars in second place in the Central division. While they aren’t exactly nipping at the Stars’ heels, the Blues shutout the Bruins in their last game before the break, 2-0. In their last nine games, they have a 6-3-0 record.
Storylines
Shut-out To The Heart, And You’re To Blame
The Dallas Stars will perhaps be staring down a taste of their own medicine tonight against the Blues. After shutting the Blackhawks out, they’ll face the Blues’ expected starter goalie, Jake Allen, who is tied with Corey Crawford for most shutouts in the league at five.
One of those shutouts was at the expense of the Stars on December 12th, when they fell to the Blues 3-0 to give Allen his fourth shutout of the season.
However, they’ve cracked Crawford before and can do the same against St. Louis.
Central Division Struggle
Things are heating up in the Murder Death Kill Division, as the Dallas Stars will face divisional opponents in three of their next four games, headed off with tonight and tomorrow’s games against St. Louis.
The Stars at 5-2-0 against the Central Division, and 11-3-2 against the West. The Blues 8-3-0 record against the Central and 15-4-0 record against the West are impressive, though the Stars have played far fewer divisional games.
The Dallas Stars will undoubtedly know what’s at stake in the upcoming stretch and put all their effort into bettering their divisional record.
Players to Watch
For the Dallas Stars, it’s the usual list of suspects: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg, Jason Spezza, and Patrick Sharp. Jamie Benn leads the team in goals with 22, and coleads the team in points with 46 along with Tyler Seguin.
But, as always with the Stars, don’t just watch out for the big names. Keep your eye on the little guys, too- the lower linemen and defensemen- because when the whole team chips in and takes advantage of their scoring depth, magical things happen.
St. Louis’ top three points leaders are Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen, and David Backes. Tarasenko leads the team with 22 goals as well as 38 points, and left off on a seven game point streak at the beginning of the break.
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The Blues aren’t blind to Dallas’ capabilities, but will derive some confidence from their winning performance in their only other match up with the Stars this season. Both teams will be looking for a collective effort, for all players to be in the game for the full 60 minutes, because that’s what it will take for either team to beat the other at its best.
Injury Report
The Dallas Stars have a clean bill of health and will be heading into this stretch against the Central at full strength.
The St. Louis Blues will be missing Jaden Schwartz (ankle), Steve Ott (hamstring), and Patrik Berglund (shoulder). Kyle Brodziak (lower body) is day to day.
Projected Lines
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn –Tyler Seguin –Patrick Sharp
Valeri Nichushkin –Jason Spezza –Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussel –Cody Eakin –Colton Sceviour
Mattias Janmark –Vernon Fiddler –Patrick Eaves
Alex Goligoski –John Klingberg
St. Louis Blues
Alexander Steen –Paul Stastny –Vladimir Tarasenko
Magnus Paajarvi –David Backes –Troy Brouwer
Robby Fabbri –Jori Lehtera –Dmitrij Jaskin
Jordan Caron –Scottie Upshall –Ryan Reaves
Jay Bouwmeester –Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson –Kevin Shattenkirk
Carl Gunnarsson –Colton Parayko
Next: Dallas Stars' Central Division Lead Makes Sense
Predictions
The Central Division is cutthroat, and the teams are often pretty well-matched. With both teams focused on consistency and the exhibition of willpower for the full 60 minutes, the Dallas Stars will come out on top 2-1 to carry on their winning ways into the New Year.