The Nashville Predators return home for a (stop me if you’ve heard this before) game against the Dallas Stars that will have a big impact on the playoff race—not just in the four-point swing between the two teams battling it out for seeding, but perhaps in GM and front office perspectives on the season as we approach the trade deadline.
The Stars have won four straight games since their shootout loss to the Preds, even though they were without Miro Heiskanen (illness) for Sunday’s 6-3 win against the Minnesota Wild.
Joe Pavelski still leads the team with 59 points and 37 assists, but Jason Robertson has been white-hot lately—he’s on a two-game hat trick streak—and has taken a solid team goal-scoring lead with 29, as well as 54 points. Roope Hintz’s 23 goals are a team second, and his 47 points round out the top three. Pavelski, Robertson, and Hintz (with Heiskanen creeping in based on assists) are the Stars’ outstanding offense producers, as well as the Stars’ individual xG leaders (not Heiskanen). As you’d expect of someone who’s scored seven goals in his last three games, Robertson has had some very good luck, but he is still one of the best offensive players on the team.
Jake Oettinger is still having an excellent season, with an overall sv% of .922; Braden Holtby is still having a fine one, with a sv% of .913. The Stars play a low-event, low-penalty game on the whole, though their offense comes alive on a strong power play that should be avoided if possible.
How to Watch
The game starts at 7 PM Central and will air on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.