First Shift: Great opportunity awaits Stars in upcoming five-game homestand

There’s no place like home.

Well, unless you play better on the road.

The Stars have been a great road team this year, ranking in the top six in every major category. They are third in points percentage at .676 (10-4-3) and that’s a big reason the team is 20-9-4 and battling for first place in the Central Division.

And, truth be told, they’re not bad at home either, but the records become relative when compared to the rest of the NHL.

The Stars sit at .656 points percentage (10-5-1) at home, but that ranks 13th, so as they prepare to settle in at American Airlines Center for the next five games and seven of the next eight, it would be great if they could push that number a little higher.

“Our home record has been solid, but we want to get it even better,” said forward Tyler Seguin.

Dallas has been trending in the right direction, as it is 5-1-0 at AAC this month. That’s important, as the last time it had a chance to cash in on a five-game homestand, it went 2-2-1 in November. Among the losses in that stretch was a 6-3 defeat at the hands of Colorado and a 7-4 spanking by Calgary. The Stars road record relies a great deal on a 2.64 GAA that ranks sixth in the league. At home, Dallas surrenders 3.50 goals per game, ranking 28th  in the league. To offset that, the lads in Victory Green score 3.75 goals per game at home (third) vs. 3.35 on the road (sixth).

So could these games be high-scoring affairs coming up? Or can the Stars find the right balance and play “their game” in this stretch? It starts with the rare two-game set, as Chicago comes to town Friday and Sunday. The Blackhawks rank 31st in record at 11-22-1. They also are 31st in goal-differential at minus-42 and 30th in scoring at 2.41. That could open the door for a quick start, but Stars coach Pete DeBoer cautions that the Blackhawks won a 2-1 overtime game against Winnipeg on Wednesday. The Jets are tied with the Stars in the standings.

“I think the key is not looking too far ahead and not overlooking any of these teams,” DeBoer said. “As long as we keep our heads in the right space and approach each game as we have recently.”

Dallas lost goalie Jake Oettinger to a lower body injury on Dec. 15, but has gone on a 4-1-1 run behind Scott Wedgewood. The veteran backup has been solid all year and that’s giving the Stars a chance to battle for first place in the division. This will be a good test for Wedgewood. DeBoer said Oettinger started skating and is progressing. He is in a good place because Wedgewood is doing such a good job right now.

“Positive progress. He actually skated up in Frisco when we were on the road,” DeBoer said. “That’s a good sign. That’s the first time he’s been on the ice, so the first step in return to play. The good thing is he’s hungry to get back and the better thing is that Wedgy has been exceptional since he’s been out.”

Wedgewood is 9-2-2 on the season, including 5-1-0 at home.

“I’m focused on these five games, and there’s a lot of points on the board to be had,” Seguin said when asked about past homestands. “We have a good chance to respond at home and have a good homestand.”

Key Numbers

32
Chicago’s Connor Bedard leads all rookie scorers with 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 34 games.

7-1-0
Dallas is 7-1-0 in its past eight games against the Blackhawks, including 3-1-0 last season.

14
Stars forward Roope Hintz has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) in his past eight games against the Blackhawks.

He Said It

“I’ve seen 1,000 clips. He’s an impressive player, for sure. I followed him when he was in Regina because that was my junior team. He’s off to a great start, and we’ll do our best to stop that.”

- Stars forward Sam Steel on the team seeing Chicago’s 18-year-old rookie Connor Bedard

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.