The Dallas Stars will look to keep their momentum going Saturday night when they welcome the Nashville Predators to the American Airlines Center.
Dallas (35-14-9) came out of the gates from the Olympic break with a strong performance Wednesday vs. Seattle, picking up a dominant 4-1 win. Nashville (27-24-7) has struggled this season, but began its post-Olympics schedule with a 4-2 over Chicago.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup.
How to watch
Sports Roundup
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: American Airlines Center
TV/Streaming: Victory+
Radio: Sportsradio 96.7/1310 The Ticket
Streaking Stars
Since their January lull that included a lengthy stretch of losses, the Stars have gotten things back on track in a big way. Dallas has won seven consecutive games dating back to Jan. 23 and has thrust itself back into the Central Division race, sitting six points behind the Avalanche and one point behind the Wild.
Stars defenseman Thomas Harley is on a streak of his own, recording nine points in his last nine games and has extended his point streak to four games with a two-assist outing against Seattle on Wednesday. A point Saturday against Nashville would extend his streak to five games, which would set a new career best for the young defenseman.
Key opponent to watch
Keep an eye on Ryan O’Reilly, a star forward who leads the team with 57 points so far this season. He’s tallied six points over his last four games and leads all NHL skaters with 39 takeaways.
The 35-year-old forward has a long history against the Stars, as he has spent most of his 17-year career with the Avalanche, Blues and Predators, each of which are in the Central Division. In 54 career games vs. Dallas, O’Reilly has 41 points, good for eighth among all active NHL skaters against the Stars.
One more reason to keep an eye on him: He’s a trade target to watch for the Stars. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote on Thursday that the Stars, Avalanche and Wild are among the teams interested in O’Reilly.