The NHL announced yesterday that the Dallas Stars will host the 2020 Winter Classic, the league’s marquee outdoor game, at the Cotton Bowl. They did not announce an opponent for the game — and actually have stated publicly they’re curious what fans and the public thinks should be the matchup for the southernmost Winter Classic in league history.
That’s when Plano native Blake Coleman, currently playing for the New Jersey Devils, made sure to throw his team into the proverbial hat:
.@NJDevils let’s make moves ⬇️ 🙏🏼 https://t.co/w4o16WZpWu
— Blake Coleman (@BColes25) January 1, 2019
Ironically, he was in Dallas on New Years Day this season as the team faces the Stars at the American Airlines Center tonight. Both teams are in desperation mode. New Jersey, sitting 10 points out of a playoff spot and struggling to build on last season’s progress. Dallas, with the thinnest of margins sitting in a playoff spot, but tantalizingly close to a top three division spot. If you focus on catching the ones in front of you, maybe you can ignore those that are breathing down your neck from behind.
Dallas also needs to build on the way it’s been playing these last couple of games. Coming off a three game point streak where the team as a whole has looked better than much of the season, and following a very public ripping of the team’s top two players, the pressure is on for the Stars to make the playoffs. Every point counts, and as the team turns the corner on the halfway point tonight, a win could set the right tone for the remainder of the season — and the playoff race.
Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark – Devin Shore – Jason Spezza
Tyler Pitlick – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau
Valeri Nichushkin – Roope Hintz – Denis Gurianov
Esa Lindell – John Klingberg
Miro Heiskanen – Roman Polak
Julius Honka – Taylor Fedun
Ben Bishop in net.
New Jersey Devils Lineup
Jesper Bratt – Nico Hischier – Kyle Palmieri
John Quenneville – Travis Zajac -Blake Coleman
Miles Wood – Pavel Zacha – Stefan Noesen
Brian Boyle – Brett Seney – Drew Stafford
Sami Vatanen – Damon Severson
Will Butcher – Ben Lovejoy
Andy Greene – Steven Santini
Mackenzie Blackwood gets the start in net.