Dallas Stars (23-9-6) vs. Los Angeles Kings (21-13-6)
The in-form Dallas Stars head to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday night to face off against the Los Angeles Kings. These two Western Conference foes continue their three-game regular-season series, and Dallas aims for its third straight victory over Los Angeles.
Back on the first day of November, the Stars defeated the Kings 5-2 as -140 home favorites. Dallas opens as a -120 road fave this time around, while the totals are listed at 6.0 goals.
The Dallas Stars have won nine of their last 12 games overall including the previous four. They are coming off Saturday’s 5-2 home victory against the lowly San Jose Sharks. Both teams took 31 shots and the game was tied at 2-2 midway through the second period before Fredrik Olofsson scored his first NHL goal. Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell sealed the win late in the third, while Jake Oettinger finished with 29 saves.
“You really can’t describe it,” said Olofsson, who was recalled from Texas of the AHL on Tuesday. “It’s an unbelievable pass. I’m at the end of my shift, and ‘Pavs’ finds me there. I mean, it feels great.”
Crash the net and cash in ??@ATT | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/80vLfOq4f3
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 2, 2023
Jake Oettinger has guarded the cage in six straight games, and the 24-year-old netminder is now 17-5-3 with a firm 2.36 GAA, .921 save percentage, and a couple of shutouts in 2022-23. The Stars haven’t announced who’ll patrol the crease Tuesday in LA, and Scott Wedgewood (6-4-3; 3.03 GAA; .910 save percentage) is waiting for his chance.
The Stars allow 2.68 goals per game (tied-6th in the NHL) and boast the fourth-best penalty-killing percentage in the league (83.7%). They rank third in the league in goals for (3.61 per game) and second in power-play percentage (34-for-118). Jason Robertson leads the way for the Stars with 25 goals and 29 assists this season, and the 23-year-old winger has accounted for two goals and nine dishes over his last seven appearances.