The Dallas Stars have not won a road game in nearly three weeks and Thursday night, they will look to break that skid against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In previous years, Dallas has found success against Sidney Crosby and company. They have won the last four games against the Penguins dating back to October 2014.
Thursday night, the Stars will still be without some key contributors as Ales Hemsky, Mattias Janmark, Jiri Hudler, and Johnny Oduya are all still on the injured reserve.
The team is looking to come together and win their tenth game of the season. Head Coach Lindy Ruff is challenging his players to be the best they can be moving through the holiday season.
"I am pushing hard. I told them I have to do a better job with them. I've got to hold them more accountable," Ruff said. "The meeting we had before [Tuesday's] game, I said I have to do a better job of getting [the team] in a better mindset of outworking [the opposition], out tracking them, out backchecking them and not giving up rush chances, not giving up breakaways. That's my responsibility. I've let too many guys off the hook."
KEYS TO THE GAME:
1. Find Some Offense. Jamie Oleksiak has three goals and an assist in his last five games and Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are off to another strong offensive start, but it will take more than two or three players producing offensively. In November, the Stars went 4-0-3 when scoring at least three goals. It seems like a simple game plan, but now is the time to execute.
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2. Special Team Play Must Favor Dallas. Over the last five game stretch, the Stars and Pens are a compbines 1-for-29 on the power play, with the Dallas Stars scoring the only special teams goal. The Stars have been well below average on the penalty kill, only killing 67.4 percent of penalties on the road. Meanwhile the Penguins rank fourth in the power play with a 28.2-percent success.
3. Help Out the Youngins'. The young guns of Dallas have been playing increased minutes and the Metroplex is getting a chance to see the Stars of tomorrow. Twenty-two-year-old defenseman Esa Lindell scored three of his four points in the last three games and 23-year-old Brett Ritche has three points in the last week of action. With Patrick Sharp back in the fold, the line combinations are as close to healthy as the Stars have seen all season. December is as good a month as any to get back on track.
