The two top teams in the Western Conference collide Thursday night as the red-hot Dallas Stars roll into Vancouver looking for their sixth win in a row.
Dallas arrive following a wild one in San Jose on Tuesday, which they won 6-3. For the Canucks, this is the eighth in a nine-game homestand in which they are 4-2-1 following a 3-2 loss to the LA Kings on Monday which snapped a three-game winning streak.
The Stars have slightly more to play for in that they lead the Central Division by only two points ahead of Colorado, who have a game in hand.
The Canucks, meanwhile, have an eight-point cushion back to Edmonton in the Pacific Division, though the Oilers have played two fewer games.
With the play-offs looming the Stars are getting hot at the right time. Following a rough February they are 10-2-0 in March and have won all five of their road games this month, although admittedly the standard of opposition hasn't always been stellar.
Forward depth seems to be the key for Dallas, who have nine players with at least 15 goals to their name, although Wyatt Johnston leads the team with only 28 goals.
They have scored at least four goals in each of their last five games, though, and that should worry a Canucks team who have struggled a little since Thatcher Demko went down injured.
Casey DeSmith has been in net for the Nucks' last six games and won three of those. However, after allowing three goals on only 16 shots against LA, his save percentage in that span is just 0.884.
Vancouver defend stoutly, allowing more than 20 shots just twice in their last five games, but they are likely to face sustained pressure from the Stars, who look the bet to take two points.
Despite a lack of standout individual performances, no team has scored more than Dallas's total of 270 goals for the season, and stifling that offense will be the key to Vancouver's chances of victory.
Headed by captain Quinn Hughes, the Canucks' defense is one of only three in the conference to have allowed fewer than 200 goals. However, a big part of that, All-Star goalie Demko, is currently on the Long-Term Injury Reserve.
Six of Dallas' last seven games have seen at least six goals and their last game against the Sharks saw that many go in in the second period alone.
Vancouver have played 13 straight games with no more than six goals scored, so the under would at first seem the obvious way to go. However, there is a feeling that Dallas' forward depth could prove overwhelming for the Canucks.
And the Stars are certainly capable of defensive lapses, making much harder work of beating the Sharks than looked likely in the early stages.
Vancouver are not without their scoring threats, too. Brock Boeser picked up his 37th goal of the campaign in the loss to LA and is one of three Canucks with more than 30 goals on the season.
Dallas winger Jason Robertson took his tally to 26 goals for the season with two goals against San Jose on Tuesday. It was the Californian's third multi-point game in four outings and his sixth in his last nine.
With 74 points this season, Robertson comfortably leads the Stars in offensive production and while Vancouver's defense are among the toughest in the league, Robertson contributed two assists in the Star's 4-3 overtime win the last time these sides met.
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DAL Stars | -115 ML |
VAN Canucks | -105 ML |
Puck Line | VAN -1.5 |
Total | O/U 6.0 |
Jason Robertson (DAL) | +160 |
Elias Pettersseon (VAN) | +165 |
Brock Boeser (VAN) | +165 |
J T Miller (VAN) | +165 |
Roope Hintz (DAL) | +190 |
Joe Pavelski (DAL) | +190 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.