There is a Dallas Stars player celebrating a birthday today. Jake Oettinger is growing another year older today. It feels like he forced himself onto the roster yesterday and became the franchise goaltender. A great birthday present his teammates can give him tonight is a massive victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the American Airlines Center. The only thing better than a chocolate birthday cake is a win on your birthday. Let's get Oettinger something he can celebrate today.
A familiar face will be on the other side of the bench tonight. It's Chris Tanev's first game back in Dallas after he helped the Stars make it back to the Western Conference Finals. The NHL is a business, and while it would have been nice to keep Tanev, Toronto gave him a better offer than Dallas did. Let's see how this young core can handle scoring tonight against Tanev. Here are the three keys of the game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview: 3. Score against Chris Tanev
Scoring against Tanev will be a challenging task for the Stars tonight. They know what he brings when he's on the ice. Fans have even seen how he can shut down a red-hot player from scoring. This is a matchup that even DLLS Stars Reporter Sam Nestler brought up for tonight's game the other day. I would also like to see how Bichsel deals with Tanev on the ice if they are simultaneously out there. If the Stars can get around Tanev and score the puck, they should win the game tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview: 2. Stop William Nylander
I'm shocked not to see Mitch Marner and Auston Mattews at the top of the Maple Leafs' list of top scorers for the Maple Leafs. Instead, the Stars need to focus their defensive efforts against William Nylander. Nylander is a crafty player like Marner and Matthews. He is known to strike inside his opponents' zone on ice. It will be challenging tonight, but I know the Stars are up to it. If the Stars can slow down Nylander, they should win the game tonight against Toronto.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview: 1. Be aggressive in Toronto's zone
The Stars must be aggressive while on the Maple Leafs' side of the ice tonight. They can't pass the puck around like the Harlem Globetrotters. I want to see bodies fly at the net to put loose rebounds in the back of the net. Toronto is a team you want to get out in front of before you find yourself in the rearview mirror. The Stars can't be a second-half team tonight. If the Stars get in front of the Maple Leafs early, they can add another victory to their collection.