Dallas Stars News: Antoine Roussel Out, Voting Begins For All-Star Game
The Dallas Stars will take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at the American Airlines Center. Let’s take a look at all that is happening around the Dallas hockey sphere today.
The AAC will be rocking tonight as the Dallas Stars take on the Chicago Blackhawks in a Central Division matchup. It’s the second straight game between the two opponents, with the Stars winning the first one by a score of 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night.
It’s promising to be a good game. The Stars, winners of their last three games and five of their last six, are starting to catch fire in their season. After starting the season on an average note, Dallas sits at a respectable 14-10-1 record.
The Blackhawks, on the other hand, sit at a record of 12-9-4. They sit just one point back of the first wild card spot, which is currently held by Dallas. A lot is on the line in terms of standings tonight.
The Hawks will be without starting goaltender Corey Crawford, who was injured in Thursday’s game and is out on a week-to-week basis. Anton Forsberg is expected to get the start for Chicago. Forsberg is 1-2-2 with a .904 save percentage and 3.71 goals against average on the season.
Dallas Stars
This is the Stars’ second meeting of the season with the Blackhawks and the second of five straight games against Central Division opponents. It’s a perfect opportunity for Dallas to establish their footing and get ahead in the standings.
But they are going to have to do with it without one of their most electric performers. Antoine Roussel, who has three goals and eight points for Dallas this year, came down with the flu recently and was not on the ice for morning skate.
In response to the illness, the Dallas Stars recalled Curtis McKenzie from the AHL to fill in for Roussel. McKenzie is expected to skate on the fourth line with Gemel Smith and Brett Ritchie.
Luckily for Dallas, both Roussel and McKenzie play with similar style. Both players play with physicality and grit, are heavy on the forecheck, and always bring energy to the ice. They can add a scoring touch at times when their line is clicking, and the Stars’ bottom line tonight should have no trouble finding chemistry.
In addition to updates on the Stars game tonight, there is also a league-wide update across the NHL.
Voting for the four captains of the 2018 NHL All-Star Game opened today and will run through January 1, 2018.
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You are allowed to vote ten times per day for each day from now until the new year. The voting is broken up into divisions just as it was last year. You can vote for which player you think deserves to be the captain of each division’s team in the All-Star Game, which will once again be played in a 3-on-3 format.
In the Central Division, there are three Dallas Stars that could potentially be captain. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg are the three finalists for Dallas, and you have a chance to vote ten different times for them.
You can vote for each one three times or simply vote for one player ten times if you want to help assure that a Star will win the captaincy. The other players will be selected by the NHL, with each team having at least one representative in the game.
To start your voting spree, click here.
There’s a lot to keep up with, so make sure you stay tuned in.
Next: What A Month: What We Learned About The Stars In November
But the big news starts tonight at 8:00 when the Dallas Stars take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Make sure your TV is on.