Late game heartbreaks are becoming an annoying theme for the Dallas Stars this season. After outplaying the Tampa Bay Lightning for much of the game on Saturday afternoon, the team went into an inexplicable turtle down the stretch, and explicably gave up a last minute goal to throw away, at minimum, the loser point.
The last time Dallas faced Boston, the second game of a back-to-back following a bad loss to the Ottawa Senators, it ended as a 3-1 loss. Dallas played the Bruins straight up, the difference being a bad break deflection off of a Ryan Suter skate in the crease. The Stars were missing Miro Heiskanen – but the Bruins were missing Brad Marchand. Both should be back for Tuesday night.
This is the top team in the East versus the top team in the West. Should be fun.
Dallas Stars Lineup
Jason Robertson (21) – Roope Hintz (24) – Joe Pavelski (16)
Jamie Benn (14) – Wyatt Johnston (53) – Ty Dellandrea (10)
Mason Marchment (27) – Radek Faksa (12) – Tyler Seguin (91)
Marian Studenic (43) – Luke Glendening (11) – Denis Gurianov (34)
Miro Heiskanen (4) – Colin Miller (6)
Esa Lindell (23) – Jani Hakanpää (2)
Ryan Suter (20) – Nils Lundkvist (5)
Jake Oettinger (29)
Scott Wedgewood (41)
Matchups could be key for this game. During the October game, the Bruins didn’t have their Perfection line together. Tonight, they could easily go head to head against the Dallas Dynamic Trio.
Jake Oettinger should be back in the net after a rest game over the weekend.
Boston Bruins Lineup
Brad Marchand (63) – Patrice Bergeron (37) – David Pastrnak (88)
Taylor Hall (71) – David Krejci (46) – Pavel Zacha (18)
Nick Foligno (17) – Charlie Coyle (13) – Craig Smith (12)
A. J. Greer (10) – Trent Frederic (11) – Jake DeBrusk (74)
Matt Crzelcyk (48) – Charlie McAvoy (73)
Hampus Lindholm (27) – Brandon Carlo (25)
Derek Forbort (28) – Connor Clifton (75)
Linus Ullmark (35)
Jeremy Swayman (1)
Ullmark was excellent against the Stars (and really, with four losses on the season, who hasn’t he been great against).
In the first game in Boston, the Krejci line got caved in by the line of Benn, Johnston and Dellandrea. Assuming the Dallas/Boston top lines cancel each other out, the bottom three lines matchups are critical.
Jake DeBrusk looks to be coming off Long Term Injured Reserve, but will likely have his minutes limited as he gets his game legs back.
Keys to the Game
Goalies. Sometimes, you shouldn’t over complicate things. Two netminders who should be in the Vezina conversation, head to head. Either one could steal the game.
Top Lines. See above. Both top lines feature players who can put the game on their stick.
Captain and the kids. In the first game, Boston didn’t have an answer to the Stars third line, and there is no reason to think that anything has changed – especially if they get time against the Bruins defensive third pair.
Honorable Mention – Seguin, of course, against the team that gave up on him. Gurianov and Studenic and speed on the edge. Miro Heiskanen doing Miro stuff.