The Dallas Stars host one club before heading north to battle three opponents in four nights.
Will fatigue play a role in the latter half of the road trip? Hopefully not.
Statistically speaking, the Stars are better than their counterparts in several categories.
Dallas faces an up-and-coming Columbus Blue Jackets squad on Oct. 30. The Blue Jackets are without star Patrik Laine for the time being. Prior to being put on the injured reserve because of an upper-body injury, the Finnish winger registered one goal and one assist for two points through four games.
The Stars have lost one game in regulation and boast the third least amount of goals against (13, tied with St. Louis Blues). Columbus is 18th in offense (20 GF) across seven games, which is just four more than Dallas’ 16. Jake Oettinger could start between the pipes, and Dallas could take this one as long as they stick to their identity.
Oh, how things change.
The Calgary Flames, one of the best teams two years ago, have struggled to reach the same heights since the departures of key players. However, the Stars can’t take them for granted. Historically, Dallas edges Calgary, 30-28, in head-to-head matches. The Stars outlasted Calgary in a 6-5 shootout at American Airlines Center earlier this year to break a four-game losing streak dating back to Feb. 2, 2022. Dallas will look to attack the net quickly and often on Nov. 1. The Flames have given up the fifth most goals (25) through eight games played. They have a weak save percentage (.890) and expected goals against (15.70) that Jamie Benn and crew hope to exploit. For reference, Dallas’s team save percentage, and expected goals against is much better: 0.943 and 8.80.
The Stars then travel to Edmonton for a contest 24 hours later against the struggling Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton’s weak start can be attributed to an injured Connor McDavid and the team learning a new system under third-year head coach Jay Woodcroft. Dallas can lean on their skill, speed, and structure to take two points that evening. Edmonton is third-worst when it comes to letting in goals (27 GA), posting two more tallies than Alberta rivals Calgary. As long as the Stars remain healthy for the next few games, this contest appears to favor the boys from the Lone Star State.
Dallas finishes their Western Canada road trip with a late-night tilt against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 4. Puck drop is at 9:00 p.m. (CT). Many in the hockey world predicted Vancouver to be a bubble team with aspirations of making the playoffs coupled with expectations of growth.
Well, the club is on the right track for both.
They have one less point than the Stars and have given up 2.50 goals per game through six contests. They have scored a lot, 23 times specifically, and excel on the man advantage, but are middle of the pack when it comes to penalty killing.
The Stars need to deliver an excellent performance offensively and defensively, as this matchup appears to be the most concerning from a Stars’ perspective.
Photo: Brett Holmes/Getty Images
