Dallas Stars: Early Predictions For Opening Night Against Vegas
Opening night is still 60 days away for the Dallas Stars, but it never hurts to take an educated guess at what will happen. Here are some way too early predictions for the Stars first game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Approximately two months from today, the American Airlines Center will be rocking as the Dallas Stars welcome in the Vegas Golden Knights for the first game of their 2017-18 season. That still sounds like too long of a wait time.
As the month of August drones on, the consistency of hockey news continues to quickly dry up. The World Junior Summer Showcase is over, the Stars have not added a new player since early July, and Dallas now has all of their free agents re-signed to new contracts.
All that remains to be done is speculate about the season ahead. Training camp still sits about 40 days out, so playing the prediction game and previewing the season is about all you can do at this point. Luckily, there is plenty to look forward to.
The Dallas Stars had an exciting offseason filled with addressing needs and strengthening their lineup. New forwards and a new coach, goaltender, and defender all made their way to Big D this summer, giving Dallas a threatening impression going into the 2017-18 season.
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There is still plenty to be done between now and opening night to have the Dallas Stars ready to face the music, but Jim Nill and Co. did everything they needed to in order to make the 2017 offseason worthwhile.
There’s a lot to be excited about in the Dallas Stars upcoming season. The 25th anniversary, a stacked lineup, a chance to contend, the list goes on and on. But the team has yet to hit the ice, so it might be a smart idea to avoid setting any lofty expectations.
Still, we can go ahead and make some small-level predictions based upon observations and information, right?
Considering opening night is two months away, let’s make some predictions about what all could go down on October 6 at the American Airlines Center.
1. There will be at least one fight
The Dallas Stars are no strangers to trading fisticuffs with other teams around the NHL, and that tradition should hold true on opening night.
The Vegas Golden Knights will play their first game in franchise history at the American Airlines Center in what will probably be a sold out crowd of Stars fans. There will be eyes all across the NHL keeping track of what happens.
That’s because no one knows exactly what to expect. The NHL is known for being the league of unpredictability, and no one will know what the Knights have to offer until they put it on the ice for everyone to see.
Dallas Stars
They might be lacking severely in chemistry and talent, or they may be able to run with the best of them. Either way, they will be aiming to prove themselves to the entire league, starting with the Dallas Stars.
And that will likely lead to things getting feisty. The Golden Knights have a lot of things to prove, and one of those things is their ability to go toe-to-toe with other clubs, specifically on the physical side. If they are going to get tossed around like rag dolls, they will have trouble gaining respect from the league. After all, it’s a dog-eat-dog sport.
On the other hand, the Dallas Stars are trying to claw their way back into Stanley Cup talks and will have a new lineup to help them out. But they still have a long ways to go, so starting the season off with a big win would be a step in the right direction. That won’t come easy.
With that being said, if one Stars player (i.e. Antoine Roussel, Curtis McKenzie, Brett Ritchie, Jamie Benn) decides to test the Vegas ranks, don’t be shocked if they come firing back with plenty of rage.
Things will likely get physical and restless. Both teams have something to prove and will do anything necessary to accomplish their goals. Gloves will likely be dropped and fists will fly.
2. Ben Bishop’s chances at a shutout
The Dallas Stars made a lot of big pickups this offseason, but the biggest was probably goaltender Ben Bishop.
The two-time Vezina finalist is 30 years old and in the prime of his career. He’s an elite starter who can handle the puck, has excellent mobility, and towering size that he puts to good use between the pipes. The Stars are hoping that he will be able to solve a decade long problem in the Dallas crease and give the team not only confidence, but also hope.
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That all starts in game one against the Knights. Bishop is considered the new no. 1, meaning that he will likely start on opening night.
Will he be able to go the distance and play a clean slate?
These kinds of things can never be accurately predicted, nor should they be. A shutout is kind of like a no-hitter in baseball (though on a lesser extent). It’s an impressive feat, but the last thing that you want to do is jinx the player, especially when they’re in the zone.
Considering this will be the Knights’ first game, there is a good chance that they will be struggling to find chemistry and hit their full potential. That could mean that their offense starts the season out on a particularly dry note and gives Bishop a solid shot at starting the season out with a GAA of 0.00.
If the Dallas Stars’ newly formed defense can put together a strong performance and give Bishop an altogether quiet night, expect #30 to have a good shot at posting his first shutout in Victory Green.
But, as I said earlier, no one knows how Vegas will come out of the gate. So keep this one on the back burner.
3. Alexander Radulov will score a goal
The newest Russian phenom in Dallas arrived on July 3 when Alexander Radulov signed a five-year deal with the Stars.
In the absence of Valeri Nichushkin and the departures of both Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky in free agency this past offseason, the Stars desperately needed help on the right wing.
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They signed center Martin Hanzal on July 1 with a plan to move Jason Spezza out to the wing, but they still needed aid on the top line.
Two days after free agency started, the Stars landed arguably the best right winger (and forward, for that matter) in the free agency class. Radulov came back to the NHL in time for the 2016-17 season after a long stint in the KHL and signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs biggest regret now is probably that they didn’t make the contract a longer term.
In 76 games last season, Radulov put up 18 goals and 54 points, and was arguably the most consistent player on the team besides goaltender Carey Price. He earned his spot on the first line and put up a tremendous effort in each game, bringing a new energy to the ice.
He had the capability to singlehandedly take over a game and run the show, leading Montreal to the victory on his way. Radulov is a dominant power forward with strong speed and a precise shot.
He not only contributes at even strength, but is also a very effective member of the power play. Last season, Radulov had six goals and 10 assists on the power play.
If he can continue his incredible style of play alongside Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, he will likely find a way to get at least one puck past the Vegas defense.
4. The Dallas Stars will be perfect on special teams
The words ‘perfect’ and ‘special teams’ have never really gone together well when talking about the Dallas Stars. Just last season, for example, the Stars finished 20th overall in the NHL in power play efficiency (17.9 percent) and dead last in penalty kill efficiency (73.9 percent).
Part of it is bad coaching, another part is an ineffective scheme, and another part is the lack of players in the lineup who thrive in these situations.
But all of that should be fixed in time for the 2017-18 season. With Ken Hitchcock at the helm and a new coaching staff along with some new players who are specifically talented on the man advantage/disadvantage, the Stars look poised for a breakout season on special teams.
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This all begins on opening night against a Vegas power play and penalty kill that will likely be shaky and unstable. The Knights will still be trying to find in-game consistency within their team, and scoring on a power play will likely be more difficult than expected on their first, second, or even third run.
Meanwhile, the Stars will have new additions like Martin Hanzal and Marc Methot that they will be able to use effectively on the penalty kill. Both have extensive experience on the shorthanded side and will likely bring plenty of talent to a transforming PK group for Dallas. In addition to that, the new coaching staff will give Dallas a fresh perspective on how to kill penalties.
On the flip side, the Dallas Stars power play unit should come out firing. With Alexander Radulov on the top unit and Dallas having extensive depth on the man advantage both on offense and defense, it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Stars to find the back of the net against a Vegas PK that will still be trying to find their footing.
Now, will the Stars be able to pull perfect numbers? That kind of depends on how many times they are on the power play or penalty kill. But if the chances are kept under control, Dallas has a good chance at posting two perfect scores.
5. The Stars will breeze by the Knights
This one is kind of the assumed prediction. I made it during last year’s early predictions for the opening night game against Anaheim and it paid off, so let’s look for a similar result on this one.
All in all, the Dallas Stars are facing off against a young Vegas Golden Knights team. While they do have some impressive talent on their side, the chemistry and fluidity has yet to be established. Some pieces of their lineup have little to no NHL experience, giving them more than one barrier to overcome on opening night.
The Stars, on the other hand, are revamped and ready to take the league by storm this year. They will have a shaky opponent to handle, and I wouldn’t expect them to have much trouble in doing so. But anything is possible.
Still, Dallas has the ability to walk away with a pretty dominating win in every category in this game. It might not be as easy as they think, but this Stars team is still leaps and bounds ahead of this Vegas team in terms of talent and readiness.
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Both teams will have something to prove and will be trying on new looks, so it will be an entertaining thrill ride to watch. But Dallas should find a way to win their third straight opening night game at home.
All we have to do now is wait two more months for it all to unfold.