Washington Capitals 2015 Opponents: Dallas Stars
By Scott Deming
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars are both playoff contenders. How do the Caps match up against the high-octane offense in Dallas?
The Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars enter the 2015-2016 season with raised expectations thanks to aggressive off-seasons by both teams. Both led by their star-studded forward corps, the Capitals (101 points) and Stars (92 points) look to improve upon their 2014-2015 seasons.
More from Capitals News
- Breaking down the Rookie Camp roster
- Hear what Magic Johnson said about Alex Ovechkin
- Capitals announce Rookie Camp schedule
- Breaking down the 2023-24 Capitals national TV schedule
- Capitals Alumni Weekend is coming back
Last season, the Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars faced each other twice. The Stars won both games. They won the first on January 17th by a score of 5-4. They won the second on March 13th by a score of 4-2.
The big guys came to play in this season series, as the Stars’ twosome of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin combined for three goals and two assists, while the Washington Capitals dynamic duo of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom contributed two goals and three assists.
MORE FROM STARS AND STICKS: NHL Power Rankings
The Caps and Stars will see each other twice again this season, with the Stars coming to DC on November 19th, and the Capitals visiting Dallas on February 13th. The offensive talent between these teams is scary, which should make for two exciting hockey games.
Previewing The Stars
The Stars finished last season tenth in the Western Conference. However, there was a lot to be excited about. Jamie Benn quietly captured his first Art Ross trophy as the league’s leading scorer with 87 points. Tyler Seguin had himself another good season, scoring 77 points in just 71 games.
Add solid seasons from Jason Spezza, former Washington Capitals forward Cody Eakin, and an impressive rookie campaign from young defenseman John Kilngberg, and the Stars entered the off-season with a good young core to build around.
The Stars acquired three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Sharp from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt. They also signed Blackhawk defenseman Johnny Oduya to replace Daley.
They also signed goalie Anti Niemi to a three-year contract worth $4.5 million per season. He will platoon in net with fellow Finnish goalie Kari Lehtonen. The Stars are hoping that investing over $10 million between Niemi and Lehtonen will shore up their goaltending, which struggled last season.
The addition of Sharp and the return of Valeri Nichuskin make the Stars’ 2nd ranked offense even more dangerous. If the defense and goaltending can do their part, the offense should be able to carry Dallas back into the postseason.
The Washington Capitals have an impressive offense as well. It might not be quite at the level of the Stars, but the Washington Capitals should easily be among the highest scoring teams. Unlike the Stars, the Washington Capitals have a very strong blue line and have an elite goaltender in Braden Holtby.
Three Questions About the Dallas Stars
I had the chance to chat with Josh Clark of Blackout Dallas about the Dallas Stars. Here’s what he had to say:
ME: The offensive talent is obviously there, but what else do the Stars need to do to be considered a legitimate contender in the tough Western Conference?
JOSH: They need to focus on getting the goals against down. That may sound basic, but when you finish 26th in the league in goals against, you need to fix it. Adding Johnny Oduya was obviously a big step up in regards to veteran presence, though they lost Trevor Daley. But with the young D-corp finally gaining some valuable experience, they should be improved enough to help the offense out and turn the team into an all-out powerhouse.
ME: Do you think Niemi and Lehtonen will rotate in goal all season, or will one of the two eventually emerge as the starter?
JOSH: I expect the goaltenders to change out back and forth for the majority of the year. One may end up outplaying the other, but the Stars have more than $10 million invested in the two, and they’re going to use them to their full advantage. If one does take a plunge off the deep end and never truly gets it going, they would more than likely go with the success over the fluke. But with two veteran goaltenders who each have a history of starting, the more rest for each of them the better.
ME: Who finishes the season with more points: Jamie Benn or Tyler Sequin?
JOSH: Last season, Seguin was in the thick of the Rocket Richard Trophy race until a knee injury sidelined him for three weeks. Jamie Benn stepped up and ended up winning the Art Ross Trophy on two broken hips. While Seguin has more of a driving force to score, Benn is the one who usually gets him there with the assist. It’s a coin flip, but with two healthy hips, I have Benn at 91 and Seguin at 87, assuming both stay healthy!
Check out our friends at Blackout Dallas for Stars coverage! The Washington Capitals and Stars should have some exciting games this season!
MORE SEASON PREVIEWS:
Next: Power Ranking NHL Goalies