Stars desperate for a spark host streaking Bruins. Can Dallas find offensive answers and halt their slide?
The Dallas Stars’ struggles continued Sunday with a loss to the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, extending their slump to 10 losses in their last 12 games. Once a favorite for the Presidents’ Trophy, Dallas now owns the league’s second-worst record over that stretch and is searching urgently for a spark as it hosts the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
The matchup carries added intrigue, as both teams were long rumored to be potential landing spots for Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson before he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights. With two important points at stake, both clubs are looking to steady their footing and strengthen their playoff positioning.
Boston enters the game riding momentum, having won eight of its last nine contests and sitting atop the Eastern Conference wild-card standings with a 28-19-2 record. Much of that success stems from unexpected contributions, led by forward Morgan Geekie, who has followed up last season’s breakout with 25 goals and 42 points in 48 games, helping offset the departure of Brad Marchand.
The Bruins’ depth has also been bolstered by steady defenseman Jonathan Aspirot and additions like Fraser Minten and Viktor Arvidsson. Dallas, meanwhile, is searching for offensive consistency after producing just four even-strength goals over its last four games and will look to veteran Matt Duchene for a rebound after a slow return from a concussion.
Duchene has historically played well against Boston, and the Stars will hope that trend continues in a goalie matchup featuring Jake Oettinger (16-10-4, 2.75 GAA) against Jeremy Swayman (19-11-2, 2.77 GAA) as they try to halt their slide.
Dallas Stars’ Expected Line Combinations vs. Boston (Tuesday):
Steel - Duchene - Johnston
Robertson - Hintz - Bourque
Back - Hryckowian - Benn
Blackwell - Faksa - Bastian
Lindell - Heiskanen
Harley - Lundkvist
Lyubushkin - Petrovic
Oettinger
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