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The Dallas Stars travel to the Windy City to take on the Blackhawks

By Brian Sweet |
Dec 18, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) celebrates the game winning goal scored by defenseman John Klingberg (not pictured) against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the overtime period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) celebrates the game winning goal scored by defenseman John Klingberg (not pictured) against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the overtime period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Stars are in the middle of a three game road trip that could determine if they make the playoffs or not. The Stars will be stopping in Chicago to take on the Blackhawks on Friday night.

Even though the Blackhawks are third from the bottom in the Western Conference, I expect them to come out swinging against the Stars. This is why Dallas can’t overlook Chicago and look towards Arizona on Saturday. Here are the keys to the game against the Blackhawks.

Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks: 3. Be Physical

I know that the Blackhawks are going to come out and be physical on Friday night. The Stars have to match their physicality along the boards. This is a rivalry game and it would be nice to send a message to the rest of the division that we mean business getting into the playoffs.

Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks: 2. Play Oettinger until these eight divisional games are over

If you didn’t watch the last Stars game against the Avalanche, Oettinger had the best game of his career in net stopping 46 shots. Based on how this team is rallying around his play currently, I would keep him in the net until these eight straight divisional games are up.

Rick Bowness would be a fool to swap him for Braden Holtby who allowed 4 goals in his last outing between the pipes. Sometimes as a coach you have to ride the momentum of the team and right now that is currently happening with Otter.

Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks: 1. Set the tone early

Like I’ve said countless times over the course of this season, whoever scores the first goal usually sets the tone for the remainder of the game. If the Stars want to get another 2 points on the road, they have to score first and score early. They also have to keep Chicago’s scorers at bay as well. If the Stars follow these three keys, I think they have an excellent shot at winning the game tonight.

You can check other NHL scores from around the league on FanSided.com at this link here.

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