The Dallas Stars won after a thrilling seven-round shootout against the San Jose Sharks last Saturday and now look to double down as they go on the road to the Bay Area on Tuesday evening.
Things have gone badly for the Stars since pulling out the 3-2 win in Dallas against the Sharks. The team has dropped out of the top spot in the Western Conference despite a two-game winning streak. On the flip side of the ice, the Sharks have just 15 wins this season and are well in the cellar of the division, but their lowly standing hasn’t stopped the team from playing fiercely.
There is a good chance that Dallas puts newly acquired defenseman Chris Tanev to work against the Sharks. Tanev could be tasked with countering San Jose’s top offensive player, Anthony Duclair. Duclair has scored three goals in five games and 15 goals on the season but went 0-4 against Dallas on Saturday. Tanev is currently listed as a game-time decision by the Stars.
The focus in this match will be entirely on how well Dallas performs to rebound and get back into competition for the top spot in the division. Blackout Dallas comments that San Jose looked “comfortable” facing the Stars on Saturday, and it will be imperative that Dallas disrupts the Sharks and creates mismatches on opposite ice.
The Stars may have an advantage on net with the news that Kaapo Kahkonen will start with Mackenzie Blackwood still boxed with an injury. Kahkonen has just six wins in 30 games this season and is giving up an average of 3.7 goals per game. His last nine games have been losses dating back to a January 22 game against the Los Angeles Kings that ended in a 4-3 overtime shootout victory.
The Stars have been on top of the Western Conference for the majority of the season, but now trail the Jets by two wins and one loss, but the three additional games played by the Stars create a tie in points at 83. The Stars have gone just 4-3-3 in the last 10 games, while the suddenly surging Jets have earned an 8-2 record over the same period. A loss to the bottom-feeder Sharks would be a disaster for the Stars and would present a great opportunity for the Colorado Avalanche to climb the ladder after demolishing the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 yesterday and facing the fourth-place Detroit Red Wings tomorrow.
Puck drop in the Stars vs. Sharks contest is at 9:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
