With Tyler Seguin injured, the Dallas Stars will adjust their lines by moving Mavrik Bourque to Seguin’s spot and returning Nathan Bastian to the third line.
The Dallas Stars are set to continue the second half of a back-to-back on Wednesday, traveling to New Jersey to face the Devils after a 3–2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers. Dallas enters the matchup as one of the league’s hottest teams, posting a 14-2-4 record since late October, while New Jersey has struggled, losing five of its last eight games.
Stars and Devils Clash in Marquee Matchup While Both Battle Key Injuries
The banged-up but red-hot Stars visit the struggling, injury-hit Devils in the second half of a back-to-back.
A key concern for the Stars is the absence of Tyler Seguin, who left Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury, joining other sidelined players like Matt Duchene and Thomas Harley. Head coach Glen Gulutzan will need to adjust the lineup, inserting Nathan Bastian into the fourth line.
The Devils continue to contend with the loss of superstar Jack Hughes, with Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier leading the team in his absence. The Devils’ scoring has dropped from 3.35 to 2.67 goals per game since Hughes went down, giving the Stars a chance to exploit the offensive dip. Dallas has dominated recent matchups, winning eight of the last 11, and Roope Hintz will look to continue his scoring momentum against New Jersey.
The goaltending matchup features Jake Oettinger for Dallas, who has struggled historically against the Devils, and Jacob Markstrom for New Jersey, who has been solid against the Stars. Both teams will aim to leverage their key players’ performances in what promises to be a high-stakes contest.
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Dallas Stars’ Expected Line Combinations vs. New Jersey (Wednesday):
Steel - Johnston - Rantanen
Robertson - Hintz - Benn
Back - Hryckowian - Bourque
Blackwell - Faksa - Bastian
Lindell - Heiskanen
Kolyachonok - Lyubushkin
Capobianco - Petrovic
Oettinger
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