Who: Dallas Stars (2-2-0, 4 points, 6th place Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2-1, 5 points, 4th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised and streamed on Prime Video and SportsNet Pittsburgh, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins get two days off after this weekend’s back-to-back before beginning a four-game road trip, which starts Tuesday in Chicago and continues Friday in Denver and Saturday in Las Vegas.
Opponent Track:
The Stars were outscored 6-1 in a pair of season-opening losses against the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, but bounced back by outscoring opponents 9-0 in wins over the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres.
Season Series: The Penguins lost both games in this season series last year, starting with a December shootout loss and ending with a 6-3 home defeat in late March.
Hidden Stat: The Stars have scored nine straight unanswered goals over their last two games. They could set a franchise record if they manage to score five more without allowing a response, per NHL Stats.
Getting to know the Stars
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Sam Steel – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Jamie Benn
Justin Hryckowian – Arttu Hyry – Tyler Seguin
Oskar Back – Radek Faksa – Colin Blackwell
DEFENSEMEN
Esa Lindell / Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley / Nils Lundkvist
Lian Bichsel / Tyler Myers
Goalies: Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith
Potential scratches: Kyle Capobianco, Joel Kiviranta
Injured Reserve: Matt Duchene
- Joel Kiviranta is sitting out the Stars’ two-game road trip with a lower-body injury. The Stars called up Colin Blackwell from the AHL to slot in on the fourth line in his absence.
- Jake Oettinger started the Stars’ season opener, during which he allowed two goals on 22 shots in the shutout loss. He’s been perfect since then after stopping 39 consecutive shots against the Sharks and Sabres. The Stars have two days off after tonight’s matchup before a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche, so Oettinger could potentially get a third straight start tonight.
Season stats
via hockeydb
- Stars first-line winger Mikko Rantanen is heating up. He scored a highlight-reel goal against the Sharks before recording the first four-point night (1-3—4) of his regular-season Stars career in his team’s Thursday night win over the Sabres.
- The Stars’ power play, which had struggled through the first three games of the season, broke through Thursday when Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz finished off a passing play against the Sabres.
- Another aspect that started clicking for the Stars recently is the addition of Sam Steel, a player Stars coach Glen Gulutzan has described as a “utility knife,” to the top line. He scored his first goal of the season Thursday against the Sabres.
- The Penguins defense could be tested tonight with limiting some of their quickest opponents yet. Rantanen said after the Stars’ Thursday win he felt the key to his team’s recent victory streak was better skating.
- “We had our legs again, I think that’s the key,” Rantanen said, per NHL.com’s Heather Engel. “Playing well, you need to skate well, and I think the last two games we’ve been playing really fast.”
And now for the Pens
Projected lines (based on Friday’s lineup)
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Hendrix Lapierre – Ben Kindel – Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Declan Carlile / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kaeden Korczak
Trevor van Riemsdyk / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs (Sergei Murashov started last night)
Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Spencer Stastney, Elmer Soderblom
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau
Non-Roster: Andrei Kuzmenko
- Ilya Solovyov was listed as a scratch for Friday’s game against the Blue Jackets despite being waived earlier that day. So was newcomer Spencer Stastney, who joined the Penguins Friday but did not play against the Blue Jackets. Muse indicated he could still potentially draw into the defensive lineup going forward.
- Bryan Rust moved back up on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell ahead of Friday’s game. This line often got hemmed into their own zone Friday and found themselves on the ice for both of the Blue Jackets’ regulation goals, although Rust also scored for the Pens.
- Arturs Silovs is in line to start Saturday. Sergei Murashov is in line for some well-deserved rest after weathering 45 shots on goal in Friday’s 3-2 shootout loss.
