Among a busy Thursday night slate in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars face-off in the Lone Star State. It’s a rematch of Tuesday when the Stars managed to get the 2-1 victory in overtime thanks to a game-winner from Jason Dickinson.
Here’s a look at each team, with some key stats along the way, leading up to a free pick. Right now, Dallas is a big favorite at -200, while Detroit sits at +170 as the underdog.
Red Wings Hoping to Bounce Back
After dropping Tuesday’s game in overtime, the Red Wings suffered their third straight loss, dropping their overall record to 2-4-1. Through those seven games, they have amassed a goal differential of -9, the second-worst in hockey, to Ottawa’s -16.
So far, goal-scoring and generating offense has been a challenge. Detroit ranks just 29th in the NHL with 1.86 goals per game while also sitting in the bottom-five in both shots on goal and shooting percentage. And while their power play isn’t near the cellar, it also ranks 22nd at 15 percent.
Defensively, the Red Wings allow an average of 3.14 goals, ranking 23rd in hockey, on just-over 30 shots per game. They could stand to stay out of the penalty box, where their ten penalty minutes a game lead to them having a penalty kill rate of just 72.7 percent, tied for 24th in the league.
There is a trio of Red Wings who have contributed offensively. Dylan Larkin is Detroit’s leading scorer, as the center leads the team with six points (3 g, 3 a). Veteran Bobby Ryan is off to a start in his first season in Motown, leading the team with four goals, while Tyler Bertuzzi is another young player off to a three-goal start in his season.
The Wings would love to get more from other players. Anthony Mantha has three points but also carries a team-worst plus-minus at -6, while Filip Zadina is still searching for his first goal of the year.
Stars Aim to Stay Unbeaten
Due to COVID-19, the Stars had to wait until January 22nd to make their season debut. But since then, all they have done is win and jump out to a 3-0-0, the latest win coming Tuesday against Detroit. Even better, they already have a +9 goal differential, second-best in the NHL behind Montreal.
Aided in large part by their 7-0 win, Dallas is averaging four goals per game, the third-most in the NHL. They have excelled on the power play in the early-going, sitting at a league-high 56.3 percent. However, their 24 shots on goal ranks dead-last in hockey, so a lot of puck luck may be on their side.
On the defensive end, three total goals allowed over the course of three games translates to a goals allowed average of one, which of course, leads the league. But Dallas is also doing a good job suppressing shots, giving up just 24 per game while carrying a penalty kill that has been 91.7 percent successful.
Veteran Joe Pavelski has rocketed off to a fast start. The longtime Shark had two goals and two assists in his first game of the year and is already up to a team-high eight total points. Other players who have started hot include John Klingberg and Roope Hintz. Klingberg is tied with Pavelski for the team-lead in assists with five while adding his first goal of the year on Tuesday, while Hintz is up to five points but is dealing with an injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s matchup.
Others to watch for the Stars include Denis Gurianov and Alexander Radulov, each of whom already has a pair of goals to start the year. Dallas would, however, welcome more of an offensive contribution from their young defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who through three games has a lone assist.
Starting Goalies
It seems safe to assume that the Stars will turn things over to Anton Khudobin once again. The vet has started all three games and has been brilliant, earning a 0.99 GAA, and a .958 save percentage. Should Dallas opt to give him a break, Ben Bishop or Jake Oettinger would draw the start.
As for Detroit, they have a couple of different options. They could opt to start Thomas Greiss again, who is 0-3-1 with a 2.54 GAA and .916 save percentage. But it appears they are doing a true timeshare in net, so there’s a strong chance it’ll be Jonathan Bernier in net Thursday night. Bernier has the better record at 2-1-0 compared to Greiss but also carries a 3.33 GAA, and .889 save percentage.
Final Thoughts & Pick
Although the Cup-finalist Stars have played just three games, they have looked the part of a team ready to contend. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have had some good moments early on, but questions regarding their scoring ability and their goaltending will need to be answered as the season goes on. We saw these teams playing each other close on Tuesday, but I’m taking the Stars to win in a big way in the rematch.
Pick: Stars -200
