In a highly anticipated matchup for both squads, the Chicago Blackhawks visit and reunite with the Dallas Stars Tuesday night.
While Chicago has had more than a few rough patches of inconsistency this season, the Stars have been the NHL’s most consistent team, pacing the league with 52 points.
Beyond their usual suspects, there is no doubt that Dallas hasn’t been helped by the additions of former Blackhawks stalwarts, Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya.
Sharp with 25 points, has a place on the top line with superstars Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, while Oduya has helped stabilize a shaky defense in the Stars’ blazing start.
For the Blackhawks this is likely a fun reunion game while these two could look to show Chicago what it’s missing. It will be interesting to note how both teams respond in an early measuring stick December game.
Nonetheless. In a three game winning streak sans Marcus Kruger, AHL call-up Phillip Danault has played well filling in that role. He’ll have to continue that defensive mindset against the league’s best offense in Dallas.
Jonathan Toews has four points in his last three games and will have to be even better, as Marian Hossa is expected to miss his second straight game. Hossa will not return until after the upcoming Christmas break.
Corey Crawford, who has been on fire with three shutouts in his last six games while posting a .971 SV%,will be in net for the Hawks.
Projected lines:
Teravainen-Toews-Shaw
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Bickell-Rasmussen-Mashinter
Desjardins-Danault-Garbutt
Keith-TVR
Hjalmarsson-Seabrook
Rozsival-Scuderi
Healthy scratch: David Rundblad
Opponent Breakdown
Dallas Stars | Record: 25-7-2 | 1st in Central Division | Goal differential: +32
Antti Niemi saved 30 of 31 shots while Tyler Seguin put up two points as the Stars lit up another Central division rival in the Minnesota Wild 6-3 last night. Dallas has won three of its last four games overall.
Any and all conversation when discussing the Stars has to begin with first line players, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The duo is 2nd and 3rd in the league in points with 46 and 45 points respectively as only Patrick Kane has produced more. While Seguin leads in points, Benn paces the NHL in goals with 22, so there is plenty of explosiveness to go around among the two.
A somewhat unexpected emergence to go along with those two, has been #2 defenseman John Klingberg, who with 31 points and the role of anchoring a Dallas blue line, is considered a Norris trophy front runner. Klingberg has been a been big part of the early season success for the Stars and while he only has four points in his last 12 games after a scorching start, Dallas needs him to continue playing well.
Here are the projected lines for the Stars:
Benn-Seguin-Sharp
Janmark-Spezza-Hemsky
Roussel-Eakin-Nichushkin
Sceviour-Fiddler-Eaves
Goligoski-Klingberg
Oduya-Demers
Jokipakka-Benn
Injuries
Blackhawks: Marcus Kruger, Marian Hossa
Stars: None
How to Watch
When: 7:30 PM CT
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: CSN-CH
Robert Zeglinski is a staff writer and contributor for Second City Hockey and No Coast Bias. He is currently the sports editor at Aurora University. You can follow him on Twitter @ZigZags82.