The last time the Dallas Stars won a Stanley Cup, they were in the Central Division with the Detroit Red Wings. Since then, the league went through realignment and what had been a classic rivalry in the NHL turned into an occasional meeting, as Detroit moved into the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings have also struggled through a long rebuilding phase, while the Stars have had a tough time getting back to contender status as well. This past year, the Red Wings started to show signs of progress, while the Stars went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to Tampa Bay in six games. As part of playing with somewhat safer protocols due to COVID-19, the league has realigned again to reduce travel, and Detroit and Dallas are back in a new Central Division. The Stars were the last team to start the 2021 season, as 17 players and staff members had positive COVID-19 testing, but they show no signs of Stanley Cup Finals hangover so far, starting the season with a 7-0 shellacking of the Nashville Predators and then continuing with another win over Nashville and then a 2-1 overtime win over Detroit on Tuesday.
The Red Wings finish their two-game stint in Big D on Thursday; currently their record is 2-4-1. Can the Red Wings break their three-game skid on Thursday? Don’t miss our NHL betting preview.
NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Dallas Stars (January 28)
When: Thursday, January 28, 2021, 8:30 pm ET
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV: No National Broadcast
Radio: WXYT 97.1 FM Detroit / KTCK 1310 AM Dallas
Live Stream: Hulu
Why should you bet on the Red Wings?
Detroit became the first team to hold a lead on Dallas this season, scoring in the first period on a goal from Vladislav Namestnikov. He caught Stars goalie Anton Khudobin a bit unawares and put a backhander through the five-hole from a pass from Taro Hirose. This marked Detroit’s fifth straight loss in Dallas, but again, the teams have only played each other twice a year since 1998 due to being in different conferences.
The Red Wings will benefit from early injuries to the Stars, as captain Jamie Benn is on the inactive list, after his right leg buckled after a collision in the season opener. Roope Hintz will join him on the shelf with a lower-body injury. He had five points in the team’s first two games, posting a goal and four assists, all on the power play.
Why should you put your money on the Stars?
Jason Dickinson got the game-winner 1:32 into overtime on Tuesday night. Detroit had the puck for the first minute of the 3-on-3 extra frame, but then the Stars grabbed the puck and moved into the offensive zone. John Klingberg, the other Star to score a goal in the game, had some chances to shoot but instead slid the puck over to Dickinson, who sent a shot by Thomas Greiss from the high slot. Anton Khudobin made 20 saves to make it three wins in three games.
Dallas has feasted on the power play this season; in their two wins over Nashville, the team scored eight power-play goals, tying an NHL record. Against Detroit, their only goal during regulation came with one of the Red Wings in the penalty box. The Stars need to work on building and converting chances while at even strength, but for now, the Stars look solid at both ends of the ice.
The Final Word
The fact that the Stars have scored fewer goals in each game so far (7, 3 and then 2) should be seen more as a sign of a dreadful night for Nashville in the opener than an offensive collapse for the Stars. They do need to do better work at even strength. Detroit will come back after some frustration, and I see them turning the tables with a 2-1 win.
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