After squeaking out a win in Buffalo, the Dallas Stars roll into Toronto for the second game in a back-to-back.
With 8 of their first 10 games on the road coming out of the All-Star Break, it was imperative for the Dallas Stars to start off a three-game Eastern Conference road swing on a positive note.
They did, although it wasn't pretty. Fortunately, beauty points aren't part of the stat sheet. Dallas eked out a 2-1 win in Buffalo against a Sabres team mired in sixth place in the Atlantic Division.
Goalie Jake Oettinger was clearly the difference. Coming off a nice performance at last weekend's All-Star Game, the 25-year-old goaltender stopped 47 of 48 shots against Buffalo in arguably one of the best games of his career.
The 47 stops were a career high for Oettinger, as were the 48 shots faced.
The win was especially important for another reason. Coupled with a 5-3 New Jersey Devils victory over the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche, the Stars now sit atop the Central Division with 68 points, improving their overall record to 31-13-6.
Dallas will face a stiffer test in Toronto against the Maple Leafs in the second game of a back-to-back. The Leafs' first game back from the break ended in a 3-2 home loss against the New York Islanders. John Tavares and Mitch Marner each scored power play goals, while Marner added an assist on another. Auston Matthews recorded a secondary assist on Marner's goal.
Toronto is fourth in the Atlantic Division (25-15-8, 58 points). While they have been inconsistent at times, the Leafs are always dangerous with the four-headed monster of Matthews, Tavares, Marner and William Nylander. Plus, they have dominated the Stars recently, having won five consecutive games against them and boast a17-4-0 record in their last 21 meetings.
Tonight's game at Scotiabank Arena is the second of two matchups this season. The first encounter took place in Dallas, where the Leafs prevailed 4-1. The Stars went 3-for-4 (75%) on the penalty kill but were unsuccessful in two power play situations. Mason Marchment scored the lone goal for Dallas.
Things to Watch For:
- Stars forward Mason Marchment made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in January 2020. He has tallied four points (1-3-4) in six games against his former team.
- Scotiabank Arena has been kind to Stars forward Tyler Seguin. Over his last seven games in Toronto, Seguin has nine points (4-5-9), and 16 points (9-7-16) in 17 career road games against the Maple Leafs.
- In his last seven games, Auston Matthews has posted 11 points (7-4-11).
Projected lines:
Robertson-Hintz-Johnston
Marchment-Duchene-Seguin
Benn-Steel-Pavelski
Smith-Faksa-Dadonov
Harley-Heiskanen
Suter-Lundkvist
Lindell-Hakanpaa
Wedgewood
Since there was no morning skate, coach Pete DeBoer has not release the official lines.
The Stars have done remarkably well on the road this season. They lead the NHL in points percentage away from American Airlines Center (.708), and rank third on the penalty kill at 85.5%.
That said, they will need to clean up some things from the Buffalo game. Dallas had four power play opportunities in the third period alone, but came away empty all four times. They were also outshot 48-30 by the Sabres.
Stars fans are encouraged to attend a watch party during the Toronto game at Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill, located at 8451 Parkwood Blvd. in Plano. Puck drop is at 6 Pm CT on Bally Sports Southwest.
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