Dallas Stars Take On Nashville Predators In Showdown Of Central Powers

The Nashville Predators are in town to face off with the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center tonight. Both teams are on an immense hot streak, but something will have to give in the contest.

The Dallas Stars just might be facing the toughest test of their 2017-18 season tonight.

There’s something about a Central Division matchup that always puts the teams in a different light, and tonight’s game will most assuredly provide an entertaining show. The Nashville Predators will go head-to-head with the Stars tonight at 7:30 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

This game is going to be quite the show between two Central Division powerhouses. But something will have to give between the two clubs. Both are flying high in the NHL standings and catching fire in their own respective schedules.

Here’s a quick rundown on what both teams are bringing to the table.

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Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are one of the hottest teams in the NHL at the moment. The Stars have won seven of their last eight contests, including the last five in a row. They bounced back from an average record of 11-10-1 to 16-10-1 with 33 points.

Dallas holds the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and is in range of reaching the top three spots in the Central. A win tonight could help them slide just one point behind the Blues, who currently hold third place.

This Dallas Stars team has looked arguably unstoppable over the past ten days. They have outscored their opposition 23-11 in the five-game streak, are receiving quality production from their depth scorers, and seem to have found consistency on defense and in net. Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen are carrying the load between the pipes and giving the Stars team in front of them more confidence and composure.

They have the 12th best power play (20.9 percent) and the fourth best penalty kill (84.7 percent) in the NHL and are creating their success with their effort.

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Nashville Predators

The Predators, on the other hand, are seeing their own success. Nashville is 12-2-1 in their past 15 games and sits at a record of 17-7-3 with 37 points. They sit at a 3-1-1 mark over their last five games.

The Predators have ascended from just outside the playoff picture to second place in the Central overall. They are one point away from first place in the division with a +9 goal differential. A win tonight would push them into first place.

This Predators team is showing remnants of the team they ended as last season. The Preds came two wins short of winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last year. They entered the playoffs as the 16th and final team, but took it to the Western Conference. Nashville advanced to the Cup Final with relative ease and looked like the hottest team in hockey.

This year, they are looking very similar. The Preds are averaging 3.11 goals per game and giving up 2.81 goals against per game. Their power play is the third best in the league and their PK isn’t close behind at seventh best.

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Newcomer Kyle Turris has had an excellent first 12 games, posting two goals and 10 points. All in all, the Preds look like a team with unfinished business that can contend for a Cup.

But over the past five games, so do the Stars. Something is going to have to give tonight between these two Central Division powerhouses. Which team wants it more? We’ll have to wait and find out. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.