View the latest information on the matchup against Los Angeles, including how to watch, listen, and live stream the game
When: Monday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: Victory+
Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM
Live Stats: NHL Game Center
Tickets: Single-game / Groups / Rentals
Local Parking: AAC Parking Options
Arena Bag Policy: Frequently Asked Questions
20% Off In Arena: Darius Rucker Trail Jacket
Food Highlight: All-Beef Hot Dog
50/50 Beneficiary: Assistance League of Coppell
Promotional Schedule: Holiday Game
Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen enters Monday’s matchup having seven points (4-3—7) in his last six games played. In all, Heiskanen has totaled 29 points (7-22—29) in 33 games played this season, ranking fourth on the Stars and tying for third among all NHL defensemen in scoring this season entering play Sunday. He is now pacing to finish the year with 17 goals, 55 assists and 72 points, both of which would be career highs. In Dallas’ last matchup, Heiskanen skated 24:20 against the Florida Panthers, making it the 10th consecutive game that he has had at least 24 minutes of ice time. He is averaging 26:05 of ice time per game this season, which was the third-highest total in the NHL entering play Sunday. In his career against Los Angeles, Heiskanen has collected eight points (2-6—8) in 14 games played, carrying a plus-minus rating of +6.
Kings forward Adrian Kempe enters Monday’s contest riding a four-game point streak, earning five points (2-3—5) during that span. This season, Kempe leads the team in scoring with 28 points (11-17—28) and is tied for the lead in both goals (11) and shots taken (94). He also ranks third in hits (57) and sixth in takeaways (9) among Kings skaters. In his career against Dallas, Kempe has totaled six points (3-3—6) in 20 games played, including putting up two points (1-1—2) in his last outing against the Stars on Oct. 23.
To paraphrase world-famous quarterback Shane Falco, quicksand is real.
The fictional leader of the Washington Sentinels in the film The Replacements, Falco was talking to his teammates about how failure can paralyze an athlete.
“You’re playing and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another, and another,” Falco says in the movie. “You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can’t move… you can’t breathe… because you’re in over your head. Like quicksand.”
The Stars have lost two consecutive games in regulation for just the second time this season, so they’re not in quicksand yet, but it is something to be aware of. In a lot of ways, Casey DeSmith saved them in a 4-3 win over Winnipeg. And a 3-2 shootout victory against Pittsburgh wasn’t near as comfortable as they would have liked.
So when their 11-game point streak came to an end in a 5-2 loss at Minnesota and then Florida dominated in a 4-0 win at AAC on Saturday, there were some red flags.
“Two losses in a row, we didn’t know the feeling for so long, so it’s hard,” said forward Radek Faksa after the loss to Florida. “But they are the two-time Stanley Cup Champions for a reason, and they showed us a lesson today, so maybe good we got a little slap because the last few games were a little sloppy. We need to start working again and play our game. We need to move forward and learn from this.”
The Stars had a nice practice at American Airlines Center on Sunday and coach Glen Gultzan said a lot of the same things. Instead of worrying about the problems, Dallas needs to react in a positive manner.
“The path isn’t linear, that’s for sure,” Gulutzan said. “You’ve just got to keep the energy up. Whenever I’ve seen teams get in these things, the energy has dropped considerably. We’re not there yet, we’re not close to there yet.”
That said, now is as good a time as any to snap out of it. Dallas plays against Los Angeles on Monday and then heads to San Jose and Anaheim later in the week, so getting back on the points parade would be welcome.
“You do want to nip this as quickly as you can,” Gulutzan said.
And the way to do that, ironically enough, is to follow the same path that has gotten the team to 21-7-5. By being “one degree better” in a lot of different areas, the team has found a formula. With balanced energy from the lines, impressive depth from everyone on the roster, and amazing special teams play, the team can make some changes.
“It’s up to the guys in this room,” said forward Colin Blackwell after the Florida loss where Dallas had 15 shots on goal. “I think we need to do just a better job of generating some 5-on-5 across the board and getting into the dirty areas. They did a good job of keeping us outside of the blue paint tonight, and getting those second, third opportunities, I think that’s got to be a key for us moving forward.”
It will be. But the good thing is the Stars have built a cushion and now have the ability to fix problems without slipping into quicksand.
“The question you ask yourself is: What would you want to be? 21-7 and lost the last two, or would you rather be 15-12 and won the last three? I know which one I would take,” Gulutzan said. “So it’s not going to be a straight line, but these are the little moments that make you better.”
2.48
Los Angeles ranks third in the NHL in lowest GAA at 2.48. Dallas ranks eighth in scoring at 3.27.
2.65
Los Angeles ranks 28th in scoring at 2.65 goals per game. Dallas ranks sixth in GAA at 2.68.
16.5
Los Angeles ranks 31st in the NHL in hits per game at 16.5. Dallas ranks 17th at 18.7.
“Just move on and try to get the next one.”
-Stars defenseman Esa Lindell on his team seeing its penalty kill streak end at 35 in a row and how it will react
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.
Hockey News