The Dallas Stars are one of the toughest teams in hockey, so they're also one of the best to give the Detroit Red Wings a solid measuring stick. Dallas boasts the second-best unit in hockey behind the Colorado Avalanche, who have owned the league so far this season.
Dallas has a lot of talent and experience, with Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskinen, Thomas Harley, and Jake Oettinger, to name a few. They're poised to make yet another deep playoff run, and it could be the year they go even further should they find a way to knock off Colorado.
The Stars have 55 points, good for second in the NHL. They're second in goals scored with 130 and fifth in goals allowed with 95. Fortunately for the Red Wings, they've also been one of the NHL's hottest teams lately, so this will be one epic showdown.
This one will begin at 6:30 on Tuesday night, and you can tune in on TNT/truTV/HBO Max. Check it out, and we'll see just how far the Wings have come.
Simon Edvinsson's stock is trending north, Marco Kasper's is stagnating
While Moritz Seider is getting loads of attention these days, Michael Coyle reminded us that he's not the only blueliner worth following in Detroit. Simon Edvinsson is quickly rising through the ranks in his sophomore season, with 12 points and four goals in 34 games, a plus-6, 21:59 average total ice time, 69 blocks, and 41 body checks. His Corsi For is a ridiculous 53.5 despite an offensive zone starting percentage of 43.4.
Edvinsson has been impressive, but Marco Kasper is still in a slump, with five points, three goals, and a minus-13. Max Smith took a deep dive into Kasper on Monday, speculating on whether a stint in Grand Rapids will help him find his game. When Patrick Kane returns and with John Leonard playing so well, someone has to go to Grand Rapids. Maybe it'll be Kasper.
Nestor Quixtan talked about whether the Red Wings will keep up their high-octane play as the calendar year shifts. Every fan knows what the new calendar year means. January and February could be smooth sailing, but March is the one month that has everyone worked up, considering Detroit's recent slumps in the third month of the year.
Well, the Wings can help themselves if they skate out there on Tuesday night and upend the mighty Stars. Should they take it, they'll have 47 points in 38 games, putting them on pace to cross the 100-point mark. Let's see if they're capable of doing just that.