Columbus Blue Jackets (22-15-3) at Dallas Stars (22-15-3)
JANUARY 2, 2018, 8:30 p.m. (AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER)
Tonight places two teams with identical records against each other, but their recent results have been anything but.
While the Jackets have been obliterated in their last two games, the Stars have played some of their best hockey of the season, fresh off of a 6-0 New Year's Eve win, their fourth win in their last five contests.
As per usual, the Stars sport a slew of skilled forwards, capable of taking over a game like Tampa Bay's forwards did on Sunday.
You Oughta Know: Jamie Benn
Feel like looking into the future? Take a gaze at Jamie Benn's game tonight. Primarily a wing, he's been the most common future comparison for Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. That comparison, like just about every comparison ever, is unfair to the rookie. Not to say that Dubois won't reach those heights, but Benn is one of the league's best players.
Regardless, from a stylistic perspective, they're similar. Smart, skilled, big, long reach.
He's also got a penchant for scoring highlight-reel goals against the Blue Jackets. This one, from the 2014-15 season, is especially ridiculous.
Can't help but respect that.
Fast Facts
- DALLAS! STARS! DALLAS! STARS! Texas metal band Pantera wrote and recorded a goal song for the Stars, giving them a unique home ice quirk.
- The Stars have the same record *and* the same position within their division (fourth) as the Blue Jackets.
- Goalie Ben Bishop came over from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade, after the Kings acquired him months earlier from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Jackets got shut out by the player who took over his old starting job, Andrei Vasilevskiy, two nights ago.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: First matchup
ALL TIME SERIES: Stars lead 27-22-6-0
Keys to the Game
ONE: Snap out of it! Normally, we do three keys, but the Jackets just need to put together a complete effort. A great first period against Tampa led to two terrible ones. These are dire times for the Jackets, and they need to get back to their game tonight in a tough road matchup.
Team Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Jamie Benn | 40 GP, 16-21-37 | 91 | Tyler Seguin | 40 GP, 19-16-35 | 17 | Devin Shore | 40 GP, 4-13-17 |
| 13 | Mattias Janmark | 40 GP, 8-12-20 | 90 | Jason Spezza | 40 GP, 5-11-16 | 47 | Alexander Radulov | 40 GP, 14-18-32 |
| 21 | Antoine Roussel | 34 GP, 5-7-12 | 12 | Radek Faksa | 39 GP, 10-10-20 | 18 | Tyler Pitlick | 38 GP, 7-8-15 |
| 40 | Remi Elie | 34 GP, 4-3-7 | 16 | Gemel Smith | 27 GP, 4-5-9 | 25 | Brett Ritchie | 31 GP, 3-3-6 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Esa Lindell | 40 GP, 4-12-16 | 3 | John Klingberg | 40 GP, 5-29-34 |
| 2 | Dan Hamhuis | 38 GP, 1-12-13 | 29 | Greg Pateryn | 31 GP, 1-3-4 |
| 28 | Stephen Johns | 37 GP, 4-3-7 | 6 | Julius Honka | 19 GP, 1-2-3 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Ben Bishop | 30 | 17-10-2 | 2.55 | .914 | 4 |
| 32 | Kari Lehtonen | 10 | 5-5-1 | 2.59 | .907 | 0 |
