The New Jersey Devils versus the Dallas Stars is a battle of two teams headed in completely opposite directions, but a win for the Devils would go a long way.
The Dallas Stars started the season off just as the New Jersey Devils did. They had some high expectations and were just playing awful for whatever reason. The only difference is that the Dallas Stars figured it out and emerged as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils have plummeted even more. Both teams have a lot of talent but the Stars are now one of the premier teams in the league.
They are obviously led by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, but what makes them so good is their defense. They have Miro Heiskanen, John Klingberg, and Esa Lindell leading their really good blueline. They have both Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin playing lights out in net. There is no doubt that this is a really deep team.
With the uncertainty of Taylor Hall even being a member of the Devils by the time each game starts, that makes this a very difficult season for the Devils. Everything hinges on what he decides to do, but it appears that he is going to be moved sooner than later. The Devils still have a great, young core with players like Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes to build around so the future is still bright. They just need to get it figured out on the ice.
A win over these Dallas Stars would make this team feel really good about itself. They have a lot of good players in that locker room who need some sort of boost. They have already made a coaching change and now they might trade one of the best players to ever put on a Devils sweater so that could certainly create a spark.
Beating good teams makes some guys feel good, which would make this a great win. It is obviously going to be challenging but the Devils are certainly going to give it their best effort.