I don't know if any of the 99 Jerseys will be at the Hangar tonight after the massive reception they received on Friday night. Those jerseys need to be modified into the modern-day uniforms the Stars wear moving forward. I don't know if Tom Gaglardi will be able to make another retro jersey as sick as those are. Anyways, the Stars are hosting the Ottawa Senators before a trip to the East Coast this upcoming week. It was a little too close for comfort in the first game this season between the two teams.
In the last matchup between both teams, the Stars escaped Ottawa by the hair of their chins with a game-winning goal by Roope Hintz in overtime. With the home crowd behind the Stars tonight, that win needs to have a bigger margin. I don't want to see the Senators bringing in bad omens into the American Airlines Center with the cold weather today. Here are the four keys to tonight's season finale between the Stars and the Senators.
Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Preview: 4. Faster start to the game
Things got a little scary on Friday night when the Stars decided to have a slow start against the Utah Mammoth. Before you could blink your eye, the Stars were already trailing 2-0 in the first period. It wasn't until Roope Hintz scored on the power play at the end of the first period that the Stars truly got their feet settled. With the upcoming road trip this week, might as well practice getting out to quick starts tonight against the Senators.
Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Preview: 3. Welcome Brady Tkachuk back
Brady Tkachuk is in the lineup against the Stars, so that will be something new the Stars will have to deal with tonight. The Stars need to make sure he knows they aren't giving him any time to get acclimated to the ice at the American Airlines Center. I want to see players like Alexander Petrovic and Lian Bichsel give him some big hits early on in the first period tonight. The last thing the Stars need is for Tkachuk to go off on the Stars and have a career game tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Preview: 2. Shut down Shane Pinto
The Dallas Stars need to make sure that Shane Pinto is kept off the scoresheet tonight. He is the leading scorer for the Senators entering tonight's game. I want to see players like Miro Heiskanen and Lian Bichsel have a tail on him at all times in the Stars' zone. He's a very crafty player who loves scoring and setting up his teammates for success. The one thing the Stars don't want the Senators to have tonight is success. Shut him down and prepare for the East Coast.
Dallas Stars vs. Ottawa Senators Preview: 1. Keep feeding the million-dollar robot
I swear, Jim Nill needs to get this extension done for Jason Robertson before it's too expensive for the Stars, even with the salary cap increase. I want to see Robertson smile as he effortlessly puts the puck past the Senators' goaltender tonight. They have to make sure to get him open in front of the net for a backdoor pass. That is when Robertson tends to be the most effective when he's not attacking the front of the net. Feed the robot and win two points before taking off east.