Via NHL.com
The Rundown:
The Dallas Stars look to build momentum as they host the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center tonight.. The Stars who are first in the Central Division look to remain on top as they Wild look to make up ground. 10 points separate the Wild from the 1st place Stars but tonight could give them the much-needed points they want to climb the standings.
The Matchup
The Stars have played four straight games that have gone past regulation. They defeated Minnesota 4-1 on Dec. 29. The Wild defeated the Stars 6-5 in a shootout on December 4th. They haven’t won in regulation since Jan. 17, which is a seven-game span. The Stars have only scored more than two regulation goals once in their past six games. Stars All-Star forward Jason Robertson has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past seven games. Wild Forward Kirill Kaprizov, also an All-Star, has eight points (three goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak. Both teams are offensive-focused teams that score a good amount of goals. Dallas has the edge here as they rank 9th in the NHL for GF/GP (Goals For Per Game Played) at 3.35 goals per game and own the 6th best power play.
Players To Watch
For the Wild, Joel Eriksson Ek is the player to watch. Eriksson Ek has had a breakout year at the age of 26. He is the Wild’s third-leading scorer with 41 points behind Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. He’s been on fire lately, as he’s racked up nine points in his last seven games with two multi-point performances.
For the Stars, Wyatt Johnston is the player to watch. The 19-year-old center has been a great addition to the Stars’ roster this season. The rookie has played an important role as Dallas’ third-line center and has added a nice scoring touch. He centers a tough third line that features Jamie Benn and Ty Dellandrea that plays tough minutes. His 13 goals are a pretty impressive stat comparing him to the rest of the more experienced Stars roster.
Prediction: Dallas Stars 3, Minnesota Wild 2
Neither team in their past four matchups have been able to score more than three goals against their opponent. The Wild are 6-5-2 after the month of January and have not been able to find consistency to fight for the top spot in the Central Division. The Stars may have been the more successful team this season, but they have required extra time in each of their past four games. I believe the Stars have the star power to beat the Wild, but Minnesota won’t go down without a fight.
Odds Presented By Betfred Sportsbook
Spread – Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-200) / Dallas Stars -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline – Minnesota Wild +135 / Dallas Stars -160
Total – 5.5 – Over (-120) / Under (+100)
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