Dallas Stars look to complete road trip sweep against the Minnesota Wild
By Brian Sweet
The Dallas Stars look to complete their three game road trip with a sweep as they take on their Central Division foe, the Minnesota Wild tonight. The Stars will probably be somewhat tired since they played against the Winnipeg Jets yesterday afternoon.
Hopefully the Stars will be well rested and ready to go tomorrow night as the Wild look to turn things around after losing to the Buffalo Sabres Friday night. Here are the three keys of the game for the Stars as they go for the road trip sweep.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 3. Hit them where it hurts
The Stars need to hit them where it hurts after the opening puck drop tonight. I don’t mean immediately dropping the gloves and getting into a fight. What I mean is be aggressive and get that early lead showing the Stars mean business today. Even though they might be somewhat tired, that shouldn’t be used as an excuse to a slow start. If the Stars can get out to an early lead tonight, the Stars should be able to beat the Minnesota Wild.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 2. Take care of Joel Eriksson Ek
The Stars need to focus their defensive efforts tonight towards Joel Eriksson Ek. Currently, he leads the team with eight goals going into tonight’s contest with the Stars. The Stars did a good job of shutting down Winnipeg’s top scorer yesterday so it should be no issue tonight against the Wild. Miro Heiskanen and his fellow defensemen need to make sure where he is on the ice at all times tonight. If the Stars can shut down Eriksson Ek, they should win the game tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 1. Take advantage of the power play opportunities
The Stars need to take advantage of their power play opportunities tonight against the Wild. The Stars finally got a power play goal when Matt Duchene scored with one second left on a power play opportunity against the Winnipeg Jets yesterday. With four power play goals scored so far this season, the Stars need to keep climbing and get back to being that fifth best power play unit they had last season. If they can score on the power play tonight, they should be heading home with a road trip sweep.