The Dallas Stars are back home until Christmas and could desperately use some wins. Their first opportunity comes tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
Let the great homestand commence. The Dallas Stars are back under the roof of the American Airlines Center for the next five games, and it could not have come at a more critical point in the season. They are in dire need of wins and points, and can start things off on a high note tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
The game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Southwest (FSSW), and you can also hear it on 1310AM/96.7FM The Ticket. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.
Records and Scores
The Dallas Stars currently boast a record of 11-13-6 with 28 points on the year. They sit in sixth place in the Central Division and will need a multiple-game winning streak to get back into the top half of the standings. Their most recent game was a frustrating 3-1 loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. They are 2-3-0 in their last five games.
The Anaheim Ducks have a record of 15-9-5 with 35 points. They currently sit atop the Pacific Division, but have a few teams breathing down their neck. Their most recent game comes as a dominating 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. They are 3-1-1 in their last five contests.
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Home sweet home (or so we think)
For the next 12 days, the Dallas Stars will not leave Big D. Five games against five different opponents will take place between tonight and December 23. The Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, and Los Angeles Kings will all travel to Dallas to take on the Stars before Christmas day.
You could say this homestand is pretty important for the Stars. You could even say that “all of this season is going to land on this homestand.” At least, that’s what head coach Lindy Ruff believes.
The Stars have been struggling to make ends meet as of late. They are 11-13-6 and have lost in six of their last eight games. They are falling further and further out of the playoff picture and need a handful of wins to regain their footing in the standings.
Ruff believes that this season could still be an extremely successful one for the Stars, but that it all depends on how this homestand goes. Dallas is 7-4-2 at home this season and have won three of their last four at the AAC.
It is absolutely crucial that the Stars capitalize on home ice with these opportunities. It’s easier said than done, so Dallas must find a way to get it done. Or else they may as well pack up and prepare for next year. Let’s see what they’ve got.
Why not be like Anaheim?
The Anaheim Ducks always seem to be a good team in the regular season. Over the past four years, they have finished atop the Pacific Division and qualified for the playoffs in each one. What happens after the regular season is where they go wrong, but we’ll save that story for another time.
Last season, Anaheim finished with a record of 46-25-11 with 103 points. The dominant record helped them claim the Pacific Division title and advance to the playoffs.
But the finish was much stronger than the start. One year ago, the Ducks were drudging along with a record of 11-14-5. They were outside the playoff picture and in need of a serious revival. They found a way to turn things around without any significant changes and finished the year on a 35-11-6 run.
Dallas is in a very similar spot right now. Their 11-13-6 record is pinning them outside the playoff bubble and keeping them in the hole of inconsistency that they have dug throughout the year.
Could they pull an Anaheim and turn things around? There’s nothing we can do besides sit and wait for it all to play out. But if the Ducks can do it, so can this Stars team. They’ve proved their resiliency all season and can right the ship if they are mentally prepared. You can count on that.
Ducks are flying away on offense
A little over a week ago, the Ducks received a brutal beating from the Calgary Flames that left them on the wrong side of an 8-3 decision. It seems as though that shellacking jarred the Ducks and helped them turn their misfortunes around.
Since the loss, Anaheim is 3-0-0. Not only that, but their offense is on fire. They are averaging 4.66 goals per game over the span. On the season, they are averaging 2.76 goals per game which is the ninth highest total in the NHL.
Dallas will need to have all hands on deck on defense and really shut down the Ducks’ hot shooters if they are looking to pull a win out tonight.
Injury report
The Dallas Stars will be without D Julius Honka (arm) and LW Patrick Sharp (concussion). C Mattias Janmark (knee) and RW Ales Hemsky (hip) are still on the long-term IR. D Jamie Oleksiak is serving the second and final game of his two-game suspension tonight.
The Anaheim Ducks will be minus the services of D Clayton Stoner (lower body), D Simon Despres (head), and C Nate Thompson (achilles).
Projected lines
Dallas Stars
The Stars didn’t run line rushes or defensive pairings at morning skate today, so here’s an educated guess to satisfy your need for information. Antti Niemi left the ice first, meaning he is the probable starter tonight.
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Jason Spezza
Antoine Roussel – Radek Faksa – Brett Ritchie
Jiri Hudler – Cody Eakin – Patrick Eaves
Lauri Korpikoski – Devin Shore – Adam Cracknell
Antti Niemi
Anaheim Ducks
Rickard Rakell – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano – Ryan Kesler – Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie – Antoine Vermette – Ondrej Kase
Joseph Cramarossa – Stefan Noesen – Logan Shaw
Prediction
The Dallas Stars know that this game means a lot. They need a win to get off on the right foot on this homestand and need a win just to get back in the column. Give me Dallas fending off Anaheim 3-2.
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