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Stars Aim to Extend Winning Run
The Dallas Stars picked up right where they left off before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, securing a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Now, they’ll look to complete a back-to-back road sweep when they face the New York Islanders on Sunday in Elmont, N.Y.
With Saturday’s win, the Stars improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine games, reinforcing their status as a top contender in the Western Conference. Dallas currently sits in second place in the Central Division, holding a two-point lead over the Minnesota Wild.
Goaltender Casey DeSmith made 31 saves against New Jersey, helping the Stars withstand a 33-26 shot disadvantage and a strong push from the Devils after an early 2-0 Dallas lead.
“Our goal was to be our best come the end of the year—build the details into our game and get our game to the place where we feel really good about it going into the Stanley Cup playoffs,” DeSmith said. “We’re almost there, so we just got to keep building.”
The Stars have outscored their opponents 37-24 over the past nine games, and head coach Peter DeBoer credited his goaltender for being the difference-maker against the Devils.
“I liked our grit, and I loved our goalie,” DeBoer said. “(DeSmith) was our best player tonight, and we needed him to be.”
Islanders Begin Crucial Stretch Before Trade Deadline
The Islanders haven’t played since Feb. 8, when they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Minnesota Wild. Now, they enter a critical six-game stretch leading up to the March 7 trade deadline, which could determine the direction of their season.
New York currently sits five points behind Detroit, Ottawa, and Columbus in the race for the Eastern Conference wild-card spots. However, the Islanders went 8-3-0 in their final 11 games before the break, putting themselves back in the playoff conversation.
“This is equally as important now,” Islanders center Brock Nelson said of returning from the break. “You switch the mindset into playoff race now and getting back into it and how important these games are for us.”
The time off may have been beneficial for New York, which went into the break on a two-game losing streak after back-to-back road losses to Minnesota and Winnipeg. The team will get reinforcements on defense, as Ryan Pulock (upper body) and Scott Mayfield (lower body) are expected to return after missing seven and four games, respectively.
However, Noah Dobson will miss his 10th straight game with a lower-body injury, though he has returned to practice.
The Islanders also hope to see more production from Anthony Duclair, who hasn’t registered a point in his last seven games. Duclair has been working to regain his form after missing two months earlier in the season due to injury.
“I would say for all the guys that have been hurt, they’re progressing very well, which is good for us,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said.
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Can Dallas Keep Rolling, or Will the Islanders Find Their Rhythm?
With the Stars looking to solidify their playoff positioning and the Islanders desperate to stay in the wild-card race, Sunday’s matchup is a significant one for both teams.
Will Dallas extend its hot streak, or can New York make a statement as it begins a crucial stretch of games? The battle in Elmont will provide the answer.
