It’s a murder matinee, and just in time for the Hockey Halloween season.
The Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers will meet today for the first time since the 2024 Western Conference Final. And whatever happens, we may read far too much into it.
The Stars overcame their own foibles to run up a four-game winning streak at the season’s start, but came back down to Earth in Thursday’s loss, thanks largely to a fallow power play. In contrast, the Oilers stumbled out of the gate, taking three regular-season L’s in a row (and a whole lot of goals against) before finally winning two consecutive games this week.
Are both teams simply regressing to the mean? One game isn’t likely to tell us so one way or the other. But the Stars’ somewhat uncharacteristic fecklessness with the man advantage (1-17 on the season to date), plus their current injury woes, aren’t issues anyone can afford to ignore.
The Stars are 45-20-11 against the Oilers at home, including the past four of eight games, so history, at least, is on their side.
Dallas Stars Lineup
Projected, based on Thursday’s lines, with one big substitution:
Jason Robertson (21) – Roope Hintz (24) – Wyatt Johnston (53)
Mason Marchment (27) – Matt Duchene (95) – Evgenii Dadonov (63)
Jamie Benn (14) – Mavrik Bourque (22) – Logan Stankoven (11)
Oskar Bäck (21) – Colin Blackwell (15) – Matěj Blümel (25)
Thomas Harley (55) – Miro Heiskanen (4)
Brendan Smith (2) – Ilya Lyubushkin (46)
Esa Lindell (23) – Nils Lundqvist (5)
Jake Oettinger (29)
Blümel is on his way up I-35 to bolster the forward corps; Sam Steel took an injury during Thursday’s game against the Washington Capitals.
Tyler Seguin isn’t ready. Neither is Matt Dumba – and, ominously, it looks as if he won’t be ready any time soon.
Edmonton Oilers Lineup
Leon Draisaitl (29) – Connor McDavid (97) – Zach Hyman (18)
Mattias Janmark (13) – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) – Viktor Arvidsson (33)
Jeff Skinner (53) – Adam Henrique (19) – Connor Brown (28)
Vasily Podkolzin (92) – Derek Ryan (10) – Corey Perry (90)
Mattias Ekholmn (14) – Evan Bouchard (2)
Darnell Nurse (25) – Troy Stecher (51)
Brett Kulak (27) – Ty Emberson (49)
Stuart Skinner (74)
It looks like Janmark will get a promotion to the second line today as the Oilers try to shake up their formula – and make up for lost ground. Also, it could be just another way to mess with a conference rival. (We see you, Kris Knoblauch.)
What To Watch
Connor McDavid. Dur.
McJesus got his first goal of the season in Thursday night’s victory over the Nashville Predators. Does this mean the, uh, seal has broken? You tell me.
Miro Heiskanen. Hey.
There’s no one better at shutting down McDavid’s game. Watch for No. 4 every time the Oilers’ top line is on the ice.
Course correction? Maybe.
The Stars and the Oilers started their seasons in vastly different ways, with vastly different outcomes. Are this week’s reversals of fortune a blip, or a trend? And will the Stars’ special teams collapse, or come through?
Don’t forget that this classic rivalry game is also an appetizer for tonight’s Stars Hall of Fame induction honoring Brenden Morrow and Jim Lites. Have fun.