Dallas Stars Try To Slow Home Ice Melt Against Calgary Flames
After downing the Oilers and flopping against the Avalanche, the Dallas Stars will want to make the most of their last game in a three-game homestand as they take on the Calgary Flames.
The Dallas Stars fell to longtime foe the Avalanche 3-1 on Saturday, despite outshooting them 45-15. If the Stars want their tilt against the Flames to turn in a different direction, they’ll have to pay attention to owning their special teams and crashing the net to create scoring frenzies, instead of sitting back and letting the game slip out of their grasp.
The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Southwest (FSSW), and you can also hear it on 1310AM/96.7FM The Ticket. Puck drop will be at 7:30 p.m. from the American Airlines Center.
Records and Scores
January has not been the Dallas Stars’ month. Their latest loss to the Avalanche puts them at a 30-14-5 record, with most of those losses coming this month. Having dropped eight of their last ten games and five of their last six, the Stars have struggled with pulling ahead early and truly owning all three periods.
With one game won and one lost in their three-game homestand, the Stars will want to close it out on a positive note by finishing up before the All-Star break with a win under their belt.
The Flames can relate to the Stars’ recent struggles, having lost five of their last seven and three of their last four games. Their most recent loss came at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, who thrashed them 5-2 in Raleigh yesterday to drop them to a 21-22-3 record.
Playing the last of their three-game road trip in the AAC, the Flames will also be pretty desperate for a win.
Storylines
Falling Shorty
Going into Saturday’s game, the Dallas Stars had failed to overcome the Avalanche for about two years. Their efforts were in vain, though, as their cardinal sin consisted of giving up two shorthanded goals. In general, the Stars seem to have lost their focus, and the lack of special team success has demonstrated that.
Power play productivity and even the potency of three-on-three play has plummeted, and until the Stars regain focus with special teams, they won’t go very far.
Unless, by far, we mean farther down the standings. The Stars have long since given up first place in the league and are currently holding onto third place, behind the Capitals and the Blackhawks, who also lead them in the Central division by five points.
Ghost of Hockey Games Future
The Flames dropped an ugly game to the Canes yesterday, and their performance is something that Stars fans will find familiar, if they dare to ponder last season. If the Stars continue to plummet and lose their comeback power, those kind of games could be something we have to get used to all over again.
Early in the second period, the Flames had fallen behind 3-0, but rallied to make it 3-2 several minutes into the third. However, instead of launching a full desperate comeback a la last month’s Dallas Stars, the Flames allowed two more Carolina goals within a span of 32 seconds, and another nearly halfway through the third. The Flames, much like the Stars of this month, seem to suffer from a lack of follow-through.
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Injury Report
The Dallas Stars have placed Jordie Benn (lower body) on injured reserve.
The Calgary Flames, likewise, have placed Micheal Ferland (upper body) on injured reserve.
Projected Lines
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn –Tyler Seguin –Patrick Sharp
Valeri Nichushkin –Cody Eakin –Jason Spezza
Antoine Roussel –Mattias Janmark –Ales Hemsky
Colton Sceviour –Vernon Fiddler –Patrick Eaves
Alex Goligoski –John Klingberg
Calgary Flames
Johnny Gaudreau –Sean Monahan –David Jones
Sam Bennett –Mikael Backlund –Michael Frolik
Joel Colborne –Markus Granlund –Jiri Hudler
Lance Bouma –Matt Stajan –Brandon Bollig
Dennis Wideman –Deryk Engelland
Next: Dallas Stars Have Yet To Play A Complete Game In 2016
Predictions
As the Dallas Stars have historically been challenged by teams doing more poorly than they are, the Stars will struggle to pick up their focus against Calgary and will surrender the first goal. If they can pull themselves together, though, the Stars will put that star-studded offense to good use and keep their special teams tight, pulling ahead for a 3-1 decision.