The red-hot Dallas Stars saw their historic road point streak end Thursday with a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The Stars now return home for a high-profile matchup and a potential Stanley Cup Finals preview against the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers. The Panthers have been hampered by injuries this season, with key forwards captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, sidelined with long-term injuries.
This creates an ideal opportunity for the Stars to bounce back and gain confidence by defeating a top-tier opponent. Florida has won three of its last four games, but defensive struggles have been a major issue, allowing an average of 3.75 goals per game over the past 12 contests, which ranks third-worst in the NHL. They will be looking to slow down a Dallas team that has been near flawless recently, with 14 wins in their last 18 games and six victories in seven home outings.
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The Panthers have also struggled on the road this season, earning just 10 points away from home, which is tied for the lowest in the NHL, with a 5-7-0 record. However, they enter Saturday’s matchup with momentum, having won three of their last four road games.
Lineup Storylines
The Stars will see some line adjustments as veteran forward Matt Duchene returns from a concussion. Head coach Glen Gulutzan will closely monitor Duchene’s minutes to ensure he is eased back into the lineup. Duchene played on the second line during Thursday’s game against the Wild but is expected to return to center the third line on Saturday. Sam Steel will move up to the second line to play alongside Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. Depth forward Oskar Back will move to the fourth line, lining up with Radek Faksa and Colin Blackwell.
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On defense, Nils Lundkvist has recently returned but may still experience some lingering effects from the injury that kept him out, as he is listed as day-to-day along with defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. The bottom pairing has featured 24-year-old Vladislav Kolyachonok for a second straight game, paired with Kyle Capobianco.
The game will feature a marquee goalie matchup, with Jake Oettinger, who has been red-hot recently, facing off against Florida legend Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers will still feature many of the key players from their recent Stanley Cup runs, and the Stars will need to focus on stopping their second line, where Sam Bennett will center dangerous scorers Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe. The trio enters Saturday’s matchup red-hot as a unit.
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Florida’s defense remains nearly intact, with Seth Jones, Gustav Forsling, and Aaron Ekblad all tasked with shutting down Dallas’ potent offense. The result should be a high-profile matchup between two star-studded lineups, with the potential for an all-time classic.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DAL ML (-133) | FLA ML (+110)
DAL -1.5 (+170) | FLA +1.5 (-208)
O/U 6.0 Goals
The Cats have thrived in this matchup recently, with Florida winning five consecutive games against Dallas, including back-to-back victories on the road in the Lone Star State. Overall, the Panthers have claimed five of their last eight trips to Dallas and will look to extend their recent road success.
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These matchups tend to be high-scoring affairs, with ten straight meetings seeing six or more goals. Wyatt Johnston is expected to lead the charge for the Stars. The 22-year-old from Toronto has been in hot form, matching Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon with 16 points in his last ten games. Johnston has also historically performed well against Florida, recording points in six of his seven career games versus the Panthers, tallying two goals and five assists for a total of seven points.
On Florida’s side, Sam Bennett has found his rhythm, posting 15 points in his last 12 games. He has also been particularly effective against Dallas recently, racking up five goals and six assists for 11 points over his last eight games versus the Stars.
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Goalie Matchup
Dallas: Jake Oettinger (Season: 13-5-2 record, 2.59 GAA, .906 SV% | VS FLA: 1-6-1 record, 3.90 GAA, .879 SV% in nine games)
Florida: Sergei Bobrovsky (Season: 12-8-1 record, 2.98 GAA, .882 SV% | VS DAL: 20-2-2 record, 2.44 GAA, .920 SV% in 25 games)
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