The Dallas Stars and visiting Chicago Blackhawks are pointed in opposite directions as they return from the holiday break on Saturday night.
Both teams are coming off losses on Tuesday night. The Stars fell 4-3 in overtime at Detroit but have points in five consecutive games (4-0-1), while the Blackhawks fell 3-1 at home to Philadelphia for their sixth straight regulation loss — the last five without injured star Connor Bedard.
Dallas led the Red Wings 3-2 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation Tuesday night.
“We obviously don’t like giving up a third-period lead,” said captain Jamie Benn. “We got a point, so we’ll take it and get some rest over these next couple of days and be ready to go.”
It was the end of a brutal stretch of 16 games in 29 days in which the Stars traveled to both coasts and to western Canada but still went 12-2-2.
“I thought, all in all, it was a great hockey game,” Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said after the overtime loss. “It was fast, had a little bit of everything, great goaltending, specialty teams, power-play goals, it was physical. I actually liked the way we played, so I’m not going to judge our team on losing a point or winning a point.”
The Stars have two players with at least 20 goals and five with more than 30 points.
Jason Robertson has 23 goals to go along with 22 assists and Wyatt Johnston has 20 goals and 42 points. Mikko Rantanen leads the team with 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists), defenseman Miro Heiskanen has 34 (seven goals, 27 assists) and Roope Hintz has accumulated 31 (12 goals, 19 assists).
The Blackhawks have managed only eight goals in five games since Bedard, who has 19 goals and 44 points in 31 games, suffered a shoulder injury at the end of a 3-2 road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12.
Ryan Donato scored Chicago’s only goal in Tuesday’s loss to the Flyers.
“Every loss is frustrating,” Donato said after the game. “It’s a loss. There’s going to be frustrating times. There are some things we did well, some things that didn’t go our way. I think any loss is frustrating. There’s things we’re going to work on and get better, and get some wins here.
“We have enough veterans in here, a great coaching staff to right the ship. … You think about it like that, I guess. The young guys are actually always positive and in great moods, happy go-lucky guys. It’s just a matter of finding a way to win. I think there’s no negative attitude, no feeling sorry for (ourselves). I think everybody’s hungry to push in the right direction here.”
The Blackhawks could be getting some help soon with the possible return of captain Nick Foligno. He has missed 18 games and has not played since Nov. 15 because of a hand injury. He participated in the morning skate on Tuesday after practicing on Monday.
–Field Level Media
