Only one game separates the Dallas Stars from their longest break of the 2018-19 regular season. The Winnipeg Jets are in town for a Saturday night showdown, giving the Stars one last chance to break their losing skid, grab points from the homestand, and somewhat solidify a spot in the standings.
The Dallas Stars have 60-65 minutes left of hockey action separating them from 10 consecutive days off. That comes with some pretty high stakes.
The Stars will play the fourth game of their six-game homestand tonight when they welcome the Winnipeg Jets to the American Airlines Center. It’s the third meeting between the two teams, with both teams owning a 1-1-0 record and both games ending in a 5-1 decision.
Tonight’s game poses an opportunity for both clubs. For the Jets, it’s simply a chance to add onto their already comfortable lead in the Central division standings. At 31-14-2 on the season with 64 points, they have a four-point lead with two games in hand on the challenging Nashville Predators.
But for the Stars, it’s so much more. Dallas is currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak and find themselves halfway through a winless homestand. Home ice has primarily served as a strength for the team this season, which makes this current skid all the more frustrating and confusing.
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The Dallas Stars are in a rut offensively, have lost to various struggling teams over the past week, and cannot seem to get back on the winning track. As a result, their standing in the postseason hunt has shifted. A little over one week ago, the Stars sat in third place in the Central division and were within reach of second place.
But after going winless over the past 11 days, Dallas now sits in the second wild card spot (after Anaheim’s victory this afternoon) and is in danger of falling out of the playoff picture depending on how the league results pan out tonight. It also depends on how the Stars manage against a Winnipeg team that has won seven of its last nine contests.
The Jets own the sixth-best offense (3.49 GF/GP) and defense (2.74 GA/GP) in the NHL. They also boast the third-best power play in the league at 27.1 percent.
Seven different Jets have scored at least 10 goals and eight have posted at least 25 points. Their offense is clicking after a slow start to the year and the team is surging as a result.
And so, the Dallas Stars season hits another critical juncture tonight at 6 p.m. at the AAC. In their first matchup in Dallas, the Stars put Winnipeg through an offensive clinic. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had two goals each and Alexander Radulov posted one of his own as the Stars reeled in a 5-1 decision and broke a two-year skid against their Central division foe.
Their power play went 3/5, their penalty kill finished 3/3, and Ben Bishop stopped 32 shots as Dallas ran away with their first divisional win of the year.
The problem? That was the second game of the season. We’re now at game 49 and a lot has changed for both teams. The Stars’ offense is no longer producing at a high rate and their top-line scorers have been inconsistent over the past few weeks. Meanwhile, the Jets are rolling along and look to have their sights set on a Central division title.
Tonight’s game is an opportunity for the Dallas Stars to break their losing skid, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. Going into an extended break on a winning note provides motivation. Another loss, on the other hand, could leave the Stars with a serious hole to dwell on over the next 10 days.
Which Dallas Stars team shows up at 6:00 p.m.?