The Dallas Stars are rolling into Madison Square Garden tonight with momentum on their side, looking to extend a strong early-season run against a banged-up New York Rangers squad. Puck drops at 7 p.m. ET, and while it’s just one game on the calendar, there’s plenty to watch for between two teams navigating very different stretches of the season.
Stars Riding High, But Shuffling the Deck
Dallas enters the night at 17-5-4, and they’re doing it with depth, resilience, and a next-man-up mentality. The latest example?
Goalie Jake Oettinger was originally penciled in to start, but a stomach bug has him backing up tonight. That means Casey DeSmith will get the nod in net.
DeSmith has been solid in spot duty, and with Oettinger well enough to skate this morning, it’s clear the Stars are playing it smart with their starter.
Defensively, there’s a notable change as well. Lian Bichsel, who left Sunday’s 6-1 win over Ottawa with a lower-body injury, is now expected to miss 6-8 weeks and will undergo surgery. That’s a tough blow for Dallas’ blue line, but they’re plugging the gap with Vladislav Kolyachonok, who steps into the third pair alongside Ilya Lyubushkin.
Here’s how the Stars are expected to line up:
Forwards
- Jamie Benn - Wyatt Johnston - Mikko Rantanen
- Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Tyler Seguin
- Oskar Bäck - Justin Hryckowian - Mavrik Bourque
- Sam Steel - Radek Faksa - Colin Blackwell
Defense
- Esa Lindell - Miro Heiskanen
- Vladislav Kolyachonok - Ilya Lyubushkin
- Kyle Capobianco - Alex Petrovic
Goalies
- Casey DeSmith (starter)
- Jake Oettinger (backup)
Scratched: Nathan Bastian
Injured: Matt Duchene (upper body), Adam Erne (lower body), Thomas Harley (lower body), Nils Lundkvist (lower body), Lian Bichsel (lower body)
With names like Duchene, Harley, and Lundkvist still on the shelf, the Stars are leaning on their organizational depth-and so far, it’s paying off.
Rangers Facing Injury Bug at Inopportune Time
On the other side, the Rangers are dealing with a different kind of challenge. At 13-12-2, they’ve been inconsistent, and now they’re missing some key pieces.
Defenseman Adam Fox is officially out after suffering an upper-body injury late in Saturday’s loss to the Lightning. That ends his ironman streak and leaves a big hole on the blue line.
Rookie Scott Morrow will step in and make his NHL debut, slotting into the third pair with Matthew Robertson.
In goal, Igor Shesterkin remains the go-to guy, but with Jonathan Quick still not ready to return, Spencer Martin has been recalled from Hartford to serve as backup. Up front, the Rangers are still deciding who will fill in for Adam Edstrom, who was injured in practice Monday. Conor Sheary is the likely choice, but Brennan Othmann-recently called up from the AHL-remains an option as well.
Here’s the projected lineup for the Blueshirts:
Forwards
- Artemi Panarin - Mika Zibanejad - Alexis Lafrenière
- J.T. Miller - Vincent Trocheck - Jonny Brodzinski
- Will Cuylle - Noah Laba - Brett Berard
- Conor Sheary - Sam Carrick - Taylor Raddysh
Defense
- Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider
- Carson Soucy - Will Borgen
- Matthew Robertson - Scott Morrow
Goalies
- Igor Shesterkin (starter)
- Spencer Martin (backup)
Scratched: Urho Vaakanainen, Brennan Othmann
Injured: Adam Fox (upper body), Jonathan Quick (lower body), Matt Rempe (upper body), Adam Edstrom (lower body)
What to Watch
This one has all the ingredients of a classic East vs. West showdown.
Dallas is deep, structured, and confident. Their top six is firing, and the emergence of young talents like Wyatt Johnston continues to be a storyline worth tracking.
Johnston is fresh off a hat trick performance against Ottawa and will center the top line tonight.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are looking for stability. With Fox out and Quick still sidelined, they’ll lean heavily on Shesterkin to keep them in it. The top line of Panarin, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière has the firepower to match Dallas, but the question is whether the depth can hang in-especially against a Stars team that rolls four lines effectively.
This could be a statement game for both sides. For Dallas, it’s about proving their depth holds up even when injuries hit. For New York, it’s a chance to show they can weather the storm and stay competitive in a tight Eastern Conference race.
Puck drops at 7 p.m. ET at MSG.