Dallas Stars travel up to the Minnesota wilderness for Sunday Night Hockey

The Dallas Stars are taking on the Minnesota Wild tonight in their second-to-last preseason game of the year. The Stars beat the Wild earlier in the week at the American Airlines Center with their veterans in their first preseason game. Jake Oettinger looked sharp against the Wild in the two periods that he played in. It will be a lot different this time around. However, I expect the Wild to play more of a veteran-heavy roster tonight as they seek revenge.

The Stars could get their first look at Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild had a rough season last year due to injuries and a fluctuating roster of prospects that were called up to replace the injured players. Tonight, the Wild could warn the Stars that this is a new season and could face a tougher Wild squad than they did last season. Here are the three keys to the game against the Wild tonight.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 3. Foot on the pedal

My goal for the Stars tonight is to put their foot on the pedal in the first period and let the Wild feel their wrath. In the last preseason game, the Stars let their foot off the gas pedal in the second period by allowing the Colorado Avalanche to get back in the game. The Stars also had a problem last season where they would play well in the first period and take the next period off. I want to see the team play for 60 minutes, during which they assert themselves on the ice.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 2. Expect a more veteran-heavy lineup tonight

With it being the second to last preseason game on the schedule, the Stars might play more of the players on the opening night roster in a couple of weeks. While some prospects might get one last shot to prove themselves, it should be more of a roster that you could see in Nashville. That means the Stars might have Tyler Seguin's line and Jamie Benn and the youngsters together. It will be interesting to see who the Stars sent up to the Twin Cities.

Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild Preview: 1. Play Kole Lind

I want to see what kind of chemistry Kole Lind will have with the veterans tonight. In the last postgame article, Lind deserves to be the 13th forward on the roster. He's proven during the preseason that he can contribute to the Stars' success this season. Even though he won't play all 82 regular-season games, his size can help out when the Stars play teams with tall and physical forwards.

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