Stars aim to not let Lightning strike twice this season

Stars (41-27-4, 86 points) vs. Lightning (44-20-8, 96 points)

The Stars will get a great test Tuesday, for a lot of reasons.
One, they face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Two, it's on national TV on ESPN. Three, it's an 8:30 p.m. start to accommodate the telecast. And four, it's a reminder of the Stars being in the Stanley Cup final against this team in 2020.
That last one is a little odd, as the bubble seems so long ago, but it's interesting to look back and think a large group of these players made it to the Stanley Cup Final after beating Calgary, Colorado and Vegas in the playoffs.
"It feels like it's been a lifetime ago in ways, and yesterday in ways," forward Tyler Seguin said. "We're similar groups. They've got a great team. It's a great opportunity for us, close to playoffs, and this is one of those teams you want to measure yourself against. It's a good challenge."

These two teams were in the same division last season because of the COVID-adjusted alignment and played eight times. That's also done a good deal to help create a little more of a rivalry. But the bottom line is the Stars are chasing a playoff spot, they have 10 games remaining, and they need to pick up points against good teams.
"It's a good challenge for all of us," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We've beaten every good team in this league. We played well in Tampa. It was a 3-1 game with an empty netter. We want to beat this team. This is a really good hockey team. We beat Pittsburgh, Boston, we beat the top teams, we want to beat this team."
Dallas has wins against Colorado, Carolina, Calgary, Florida, and the Rangers. They also lost to the four worst teams, including defeats to Seattle and New Jersey in the past week. So, finding some consistency over the past 10 games is significant.
"It's excitement, it's pressure, it's opportunity," Seguin said. "It's wanting to be in those moments as a group and individually. These last 10 games, we're in the driver's seat of our own destination, our fate, so where else would you want to be?"

What to watch

Scott Wedgewood will get the start in net. The recently acquired backup has been solid in his three starts, going 2-0-1 so far. Jake Oettinger has allowed 15 goals in his past four games while going 2-2-0.
Bowness said they're giving Oettinger some rest, and that they have full faith in Wedgewood.
"Jake's played a lot of hockey. He needs a break," Bowness said. "We've thrown a lot at a young goaltender and give him a lot of credit because he's handled it very, very well. But he's played a lot. Now, Wedge has played three good games."

Lineup update

Alexander Radulov and Joel Kiviranta are battling illnesses and will be held out.
Joel Hanley will jump in for Thomas Harley on defense.
Here's a possible lineup:
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Benn-Seguin-Gurianov
Raffl-Faksa-Glendening
Peterson-Namestnikov-Studenic
Suter-Heiskanen
Lindell-Klingberg
Hanley-Hakanpaa
Wedgewood
Oettinger

Numbers

10

The Stars lead the NHL with 10 wins in overtime. They're 10-2 on the 3-on-3 tiebreaker. Tampa is second with nine wins (9-3).

1.85

Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 12-1-3 in his career against the Stars with a 1.85 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

30

Tampa's Steven Stamkos has 30 points (18 goals, 11 assists) in 21 career games against Dallas.

He said it

"We break them up sometimes because they get stale. We break the right winger up because we can't get any consistency. It looks good for a period or two, but we have one good period and then five bad periods. Coaches, we don't bench players. Players take themselves out with their play. We want to play the guys that are going."-- Bowness on how the coaches have shuffled the second line with Jamie Benn and Seguin
Great seats are still available for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning! Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.