The Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins both sit at 2-2-0 entering the Stars vs Penguins game Oct. 10, but Dallas arrives with considerably more momentum. The Stars have won two straight, including back-to-back shutouts behind goaltender Jake Oettinger, while Pittsburgh has dropped two in a row after a fast start to its season. Puck drop at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Stars Vs Penguins Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, Prime Video (Local)
By The Numbers
- Goals: Pittsburgh 18, Dallas 10
- Points: Pittsburgh 51, Dallas 27
- Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 130, Dallas 99
- Shooting percentage: Pittsburgh 13.8%, Dallas 10.1%
- Save percentage: Dallas .954, Pittsburgh .876
- Goals against average: Dallas 1.50, Pittsburgh 3.25
- Faceoff percentage: Dallas 57.1%, Pittsburgh 44.9%
- Power-play goals: Pittsburgh 4, Dallas 1
- Penalty minutes: Dallas 31, Pittsburgh 26
Dallas Stars Outlook
Dallas has won its last two games after opening the season 0-2, and the turnaround has coincided with a stretch of lockdown goaltending. Oettinger stopped 26 shots in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, his second straight shutout and the 18th of his career. That performance dropped the Stars’ team goals-against average to 1.50, the best mark in the NHL data provided, built on a .954 save percentage across their four games.
Mikko Rantanen leads Dallas in all three major scoring categories with two goals, four assists and six points, and he piled up a goal and three assists in the win over Buffalo. Wyatt Johnston added three assists in that same game, while Jason Robertson, Sam Steel and Roope Hintz also found the net. Dallas also wins the faceoff battle decisively, winning 57.1% of draws compared to Pittsburgh’s 44.9%, a gap that could help Dallas control puck possession in the defensive zone.
The Stars are dealing with a thin lineup up front. Matt Duchene remains on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury, with a projected return date of Oct. 25. Joel Kiviranta was placed on injured reserve for at least a week with a lower-body injury, Harrison Scott is on the injured reserve non-roster list, and Cameron Hughes and Luke Krys are both listed with return dates of Oct. 10. Oettinger is projected as the probable starting goalie for Saturday.
Pittsburgh Penguins Outlook
Pittsburgh opened the season by scoring 13 goals in its first two games, according to NHL.com, but the offense has cooled since. The Penguins have lost two straight, falling 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets and 5-3 at the Washington Capitals, after wins over the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh still leads the season series in total goals with 18 to Dallas’ 10 and carries a stronger shooting percentage at 13.8% compared to the Stars’ 10.1%.
Tommy Novak paces Pittsburgh with three goals and five points, while Erik Karlsson leads the team with four assists. The Penguins’ goals-against average sits at 3.25 with a .876 save percentage, both less efficient marks than Dallas enters with. Arturs Silovs is projected as the probable starting goalie.
Pittsburgh is also shorthanded, with Andrei Kuzmenko on injured reserve for personal reasons, Justin Brazeau out with a lower-body injury, and Ryan Graves sidelined with a knee injury that carries a projected return date of Oct. 24. Bryan Rust was also previously out with an upper-body injury, according to FOX Sports.
Key Matchup
Dallas’ goaltending and faceoff edge against Pittsburgh’s finishing ability shapes up as the central battle. Oettinger has not allowed a goal in his last two starts, and Dallas’ .954 team save percentage gives the Stars a cushion even when they are outshot. Pittsburgh, however, is shooting 13.8% as a team, nearly four points higher than Dallas’ 10.1% clip, meaning the Penguins have converted scoring chances at a higher rate when they get them. If Dallas wins enough offensive-zone draws off its 57.1% faceoff rate to limit Pittsburgh’s looks, that could blunt the Penguins’ shooting efficiency before it becomes a factor.
What To Watch
Sidney Crosby enters the game one primary assist away from tying Jaromir Jagr for fifth on the NHL’s all-time assists list with 684, and two assists from matching Ray Bourque’s record of 1,111 assists with a single franchise, according to NHL.com. Evgeni Malkin also became just the second 40-year-old to score in his team’s first two games of a season, joining Gordie Howe, who did it in 1968-69. For Dallas, the question is whether the Stars can stretch their shutout streak to three straight while working through a injury-depleted forward group, a stretch that will test their early-season momentum against a Pittsburgh team looking to snap its two-game skid at home.
More NHL news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
