Line Combinations: Stars vs Oilers

Heading into one of the most challenging stretches of their season, the Dallas Stars are looking to stack as many wins as possible. Thursday’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers presents a great chance to earn some long-awaited revenge.

Edmonton has ended Dallas’ Stanley Cup hopes in each of the last two Western Conference Finals, but this season the Stars have had the upper hand. Dallas has won both meetings and outscored the Oilers 12 to 6 across those games.

The Stars will still be without key players Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz, which could make this matchup more competitive. Even so, Dallas would love to prove it can handle Edmonton despite missing some of its top talent.

Veteran winger Matt Duchene, who missed both previous matchups this season, will be especially eager to make an impact. Duchene has been red hot recently, recording 19 points in his last 13 games entering Thursday.

Make Sure You Bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site For The Latest News, Exclusive Interviews, Breakdowns, And So Much More.

The Oilers remain dangerous because of their superstar duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton’s offense has been on a tear lately, averaging 4.46 goals per game over its last 13 contests. During that stretch, McDavid, Draisaitl, and defenseman Evan Bouchard have all produced at or near two points per game. The trio has combined for 22 goals during that span.

Containing Edmonton’s explosive attack will be the main challenge for Dallas. The Stars will need to slow down the Oilers’ offense or generate enough scoring of their own to keep pace.

Robertson - Johnston - Bourque

Steel - Duchene - Benn

Bunting - Hryckowian - Erne

Back - Hyry - Blackwell

Lindell - Heiskanen

Harley - Lundkvist

Bichsel - Myers

Oettinger

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.