Dallas Stars at Columbus Blue Jackets Preview

Dallas was in the Stanley Cup Finals a season ago, but the Stars have simply not looked like the same team this season. The Stars have managed to pick up just 22 points, which has them in seventh place in the Central Division. 

Columbus is now up to 28 points on the season after picking up two on Saturday. The Blue Jackets are currently in fifth place in the Central, trailing the Chicago Blackhawks by five points.

The Dallas Stars are -130 in this matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. 

Dallas Doesn’t Have Offense

The Dallas Stars are scoring just 2.79 goals per game this season, despite having some terrific offensive players. Dallas is dominant on the power-play, converting on nearly 25 percent of their attempts. 

Center Joe Pavelski leads the way for Dallas on offense with 13 goals and 24 total points. Defenseman John Klingberg has chipped in on offense for the Stars, leading the team with 12 assists. 

Dallas has been terrific at limiting scoring opportunities for opponents, giving up just 2.50 goals against per game. Goaltender Anton Khubodin gets most of the starts for this team, even though Jake Oettinger has actually been better in the net. 

Columbus Continues to Play Close Games

The Columbus Blue Jackets are scoring just 2.69 goals per game while allowing 3.28 goals per game. Columbus has been in a number of close games of late, and there just isn’t much room for error on this team. 

Cam Atkinson leads the way for this team with 11 goals on the year, and he will be an important part of the attack on Sunday afternoon. Oliver Bjorkstrand leads the team with 13 assists and 23 total points and will look to set up his teammates against the Dallas Stars.

The Blue Jackets need to find a way to be better on special teams, as they have converted on just 16 percent of their attempts on the power play. 

Blue Jackets Looking to Build Momentum

Columbus is playing Dallas at just the right time, as the Stars are simply not playing their best hockey. The Blue Jackets are in need of a long winning streak to get back into playoff contention, but this could be the weekend to do just that.

Don’t expect many goals scored on Sunday as both the Stars and Blue Jackets have struggled to find much offense. If Columbus is able to play with discipline, then that will take away power-play chances from one of the best units in the league. 

Expect another close game on Sunday afternoon, and one goal will likely be the difference. Columbus has more scoring options, and that could allow them to pick up a second straight win on Sunday.