Canadian-Stars pre-match | A duel of titans (or almost)

Eleven points separate the Montreal Canadiens from the Dallas Stars in the NHL standings, but if the season had started a little before Christmas, we would be treated to a true duel of titans on Thursday evening in Texas. Five things to know about the Stars.

So far, so close

When we look at the composition of the teams, their position in the rankings and their history in recent years, a large gap seems to separate the Canadian from the Stars. However, since December 21, the two clubs have been the two best on the circuit, the Dallasites having had a slight advantage (9-1-1) over the Montrealers (8-2-1). However, as the campaign began in October, the Stars are far ahead, well served by a dynamic attack, a tight defense and efficient goaltending. The main Achilles heel of this organization this season is in the power play, a department where their performance is strangely anemic: 17.9%, as of 26^e league ranking ahead of Wednesday’s games. This delay is, however, offset by the best numerical disadvantage in America (85.2%), so that the sum of the two units (103.1) keeps the Stars in the first third of the league, just behind… the Canadian ( 103.4).

Triumphant journey

The Stars are just back from a five-game trip to the Northeast, where they earned eight out of 10 points in victories in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal and Toronto. They only experienced defeat in Ottawa in a game that started just 22 hours after the one at the Bell Centre. Bad news for the Habs: the Stars are not only productive on the road, since they are also one of the best teams in the NHL at home: 16-5-1 record and ranking point rate of .750 , in fourth place out of 32 teams. That being said, the American Airlines Center has not been particularly hostile to the CH in recent years, while the Montrealers have emerged winners three times in their five most recent visits.

Oettinger on fire

Barring a collapse in the second half of the season, Connor Helleybuck of the Winnipeg Jets will be alone in the race for the Vezina Trophy. And he is also the one who should be designated as the main goalkeeper of the American team at the Four Nations Showdown next month. In either case, Jake Oettinger will not be left out. The Stars’ jailer hasn’t suffered a regulation defeat in almost a month, and he’s among the leaders at his position in most major individual statistics. His career record against the Canadian is also 5-1-0. Martin St-Louis’ men would therefore have every reason in the world to prefer to face their former teammate Casey DeSmith.

Concern for Hintz

Already forced to deal without forwards Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin, the Stars lost the services of Roope Hintz on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Finn played for less than two and a half minutes, making four appearances, before leaving the game. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment he was injured, but he was hit authoritatively, albeit legally, by Auston Matthews in the second minute of the match. The organization later said he suffered an “upper body” injury and did not provide an update on his case – more will not be known until Thursday morning. Losing Hintz in the medium or long term would be a big blow for the Stars. Even if his current offensive output of 27 points in 42 games is lower than his pace in recent seasons, he remains a key part of his club’s core.

Robertson on fire

As columnist Alexandre Pratt pointed out earlier this week, Jason Robertson is on fire. The Californian has amassed 22 points in his last 19 games, since the composition of the teams for the Four Nations Showdown was announced – the American team did not select him. Robertson and his young teammate Wyatt Johnston have been powerhouses for the Texans in recent weeks, as has good old Matt Duchene, who produces almost a point per game (41 in 43). The group’s recruits have also started to fill the scoresheet recently. This is particularly the case for Mavrik Bourque (4 points in his last 5 games), but even more so for Logan Stankoven (5 points in 4 games). During the Stars’ recent visit to Montreal, head coach Peter DeBoer predicted that Stankoven, after a long slump, was “very close to exploding again.” The Maple Leafs understood this well on Tuesday, seeing the 21-year-old small forward collect three points.