Blue Jackets at Stars Betting Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets remain in the state of Texas for another battle with the Stars on Saturday night. Dallas won the meeting on Thursday night between these two teams, and that game wasn’t very competitive.

Columbus has now lost four straight games, and this team is not making the playoffs in the Central Division. The Blue Jackets looked like a defeated team in the loss on Thursday, and motivation will be hard to find in the last few weeks.

Dallas is trying to stay in the playoff hunt in the Central Division, but they still have plenty of work to do. Counting the Stars out of it would be a mistake, but Dallas has yet to really turn things on and go on a big run.

The Dallas Stars are -180 in this rematch on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center.

Columbus Must Create Chances

If Columbus is going to find a way to get revenge against the Stars, then it must happen on the offensive end of the ice. The Blue Jackets managed to get just 18 shots on goal on Thursday, and that’s just not enough.

The Blue Jackets continue to let other teams off the hook when committing penalties, as this team is converting on just 14 percent of attempts on the power play. Oliver Bjorkstrand continues to lead the team in goals and points, but he hasn’t gotten much help.

Columbus is also looking for better play in the blue paint, as they are allowing 3.2 goals per game this season. Dallas isn’t an explosive team, but they gave Columbus trouble in the first meeting.

Stars Shutting Down Opponents

The Dallas Stars are holding teams to less than 2.5 goals per game, and Anton Khudobin has played a large role in that. Khudobin wasn’t even in the net on Thursday night, but he has stopped close to 96 percent of shots he has faced this season.

Dallas is led on offensive by center Joe Pavelski, but this is a veteran roster that can create some offense. The Stars are scoring just 2.7 goals per game, but that number has been on the rise in recent weeks.

The Stars are extremely physical, and they know how to control the puck. This strategy frustrated the Blue Jackets on Thursday night, and it could be a winning formula again.

Blue Jackets Facing Tough Challenge

The Dallas Stars are not as great as some of the other teams the Blue Jackets have been dealing with on a nightly basis, but this is still a massive challenge. Columbus was completely overmatched in the meeting on Thursday night, and it’s hard to see much changing on Saturday.

Dallas just doesn’t give up many goals, and Columbus has not been a great offensive team all year. The Blue Jackets will be looking to create more offense, but that could lead to some mistakes on the back end.

Columbus is going to find a few more wins before the season ends, but it’s hard to picture the Blue Jackets winning a game in Dallas.