The Dallas Stars are in the middle of a four-game losing streak right now, and you can see that frustration is boiling over on the ice. Just look at the pane of glass that Miro Heiskanen broke during the Chicago Blackhawks game and got a penalty for it. Even some fans are thinking it's time that Jamie Benn calls a players-only meeting to sort things out before the Stars lose traction in the Central Division. Minnesota is closing in on second place after getting Quinn Hughes.
This afternoon, they are welcoming the Montreal Canadiens to town to teach them about some "southern cooking" techniques. Jake Oettinger will most likely start after Casey DeSmith leaves the team for a brief leave of absence. We hope everything is going well with his family and that he takes his time returning to the team. We have a few items to go over this morning before this afternoon's game. Here are some news tidbits ahead of today's game against the Canadiens.
Dallas Stars News: Friendly Banter
With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, some teammates might be having some trash talk in the locker room. Well, for the Stars, Oettinger and the Finnish Mafia aren't speaking to each other after Finland eliminated Team USA from the World Junior tournament going on in Minnesota. At the press conference, you could tell Oettinger was not having it when Roope was asked about the game. You can see the banter down below on the Stars' official Twitter page.
A little Olympic rivalry heating up over here 👀 pic.twitter.com/BE69SH1FwV
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 3, 2026
Dallas Stars News: Casey DeSmith
It was heartbreaking for me to see that Casey DeSmith took a leave of absence from the team yesterday. While it might not be an extended leave, I hope that everything is okay with his family. One thing I've learned from reporting on hockey is that many of these players are close to their families. Understandably, DeSmith needs some time away if he needs it. I hope he takes all the time he needs to make sure everything is okay with his family.
With DeSmith not suiting up this afternoon against the Canadiens, Remi Poirier was called up from the Texas Stars to back up Oettinger in today's game. He has had a great season so far with the Texas Stars and deserves the recognition with the call-up. The Texas Stars are in good hands right now with Ben Kraws and Arno Tiefensee this weekend. I hope Oettinger doesn't get injured, or the Stars could be in some trouble on the upcoming road trip.
Dallas Stars News: Must-win game today
Today's game against the Canadiens is a must-win game with the Stars about to hit the road for the next two weeks. I don't want to see the Stars head out on the road with a five-game losing streak. It's time for the Stars to leave the petty crap at home and play as a team. The only way you will win in the NHL is by playing as a team instead of playing for yourself. We will see if the Stars put their differences aside later this afternoon when they take on Montreal. Stay tuned for the pregame article later this morning and the postgame article after the game.