Sometimes, the luck of the Irish strikes gold. That happened against the Washington Capitals the other night. Tyler Seguin was trying to pass the puck to the other side of the zone, and it went off the Capitals defender's stick and into the net. With a three-game winning streak in hand, the Stars have decided they want to take a trip to Florida to escape the cool Texas fall weather. They begin their trip by making a stop in Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Stars maintained the same lineup they used against the Capitals. It seemed like the 11-7 format worked and slowed down the Capitals' offense. Tampa Bay has an excellent offense this season, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Stars are going to need players like Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson to step up and provide some offense tonight. Here are the four keys to tonight's game against the Lightning.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: 4. Don't let the Lightning skate by you
The Stars need to do a good job of preventing the Lightning from getting up the ice and leaving the Stars in the dust. It might be a game where the Stars let up their presence in front of the net. The Lightning have some quick players who can fly down the ice and create odd-man rushes. It would be wise to keep some of the players back to prevent the Lightning from having too many high-danger shots. Tonight might be a game where the Stars are a little more conservative than Glenn Gulutzan wants.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: 3. Help Oettinger out
The Dallas Stars are going to have to help out Jake Oettinger if they want any chance of beating the Lightning tonight. Oettinger can't shut down this good of a team without some help defensively. The Stars did a good job of limiting the Capitals' second-chance opportunities. That is what the Stars are going to have to do again tonight if they want to beat the Lightning. Let's make Oettinger a very happy otter again tonight and get him another win this season.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: 2. Shut down Nikita Kucherov
Even though Anthony Cirelli is the leading scorer for the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into tonight's game, Nikita Kucherov is the bigger threat after what he did last season. The Stars can't take any chances of leaving him wide open for point-blank chances on Oettinger tonight. Once he scores a goal, it could be a long night for the Stars as they begin their trip in Florida this weekend. If the Stars can prevent him from scoring, they will come away with two points.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: 1. Unleash the Robo Moose
Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen are going to be counted on to jumpstart the Stars' offense against the Lightning tonight. Robertson is next up in contract extensions, and tonight would be a good night to show Jim Nill it's time to lock him up. Rantanen has been finding the score sheet, whether it's scoring a goal or assisting one of his teammates. If the Stars can get contributions from these two players tonight, the Stars will have a four-game winning streak heading into the matchup with the Florida Panthers.