Stars' potent offense clashes with surging Red Wings. Key matchups and scoring leaders ignite a pre-holiday showdown with playoff implications.
The Dallas Stars head to Detroit for their final game before the holiday break to face the red-hot Red Wings, who have collected points in 10 of their last 12 games. Dallas, holding a 25-7-5 record and 18 wins in their last 23 outings, aims to narrow the gap on the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche, while Detroit looks to maintain its slim lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.
This marks the 274th meeting between the teams, with both sides carrying significant stakes into the matchup. Detroit will have home-ice advantage, while Dallas seeks to leverage its offensive depth, which has been a hallmark of their recent success.
Dallas boasts multiple productive lines, led by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, who have been dominant over the team’s recent 23-game stretch, and are joined by rising star Mavrik Bourque. Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston provide additional firepower, while Miro Heiskanen continues to excel on defense, set to face Detroit’s Moritz Seider.
The Red Wings have seen balanced scoring from several lines, notably Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat, and have adapted to Patrick Kane’s absence with contributions from AHL call-up John Leonard. Key matchups include Rantanen’s strong record against Detroit and Dylan Larkin’s streak of eight consecutive games with points versus Dallas. Goaltending will feature Casey DeSmith for Dallas and John Gibson for Detroit, both with notable experience against the opposing team. This promises an offensive-heavy and competitive showdown.
Dallas Stars’ Expected Line Combinations vs. Detroit (Tuesday):
Robertson - Hintz - Bourque
Duchene - Johnston - Rantanen
Hryckowian - Steel - Benn
Back - Faksa - Erne
Lindell - Heiskanen
Harley - Lundkvist
Petrovic - Lyubushkin
DeSmith
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