Storylines
Eakin returns. Center Cody Eakin played for Dallas before the Knights claimed him in the expansion draft. He has arguably been the team’s best player in the preseason. Look for Eakin to be fired up to play against his old team.
New Stars. Dallas GM Jim Nill hit the reboot button, changing coaches (Lindy Ruff out, Ken Hitchcock returning) and shored up the team’s woeful goaltending with Ben Bishop coming over from Los Angeles and Kari Lehtonen, last year’s starter, as his backup. They also added center Martin Hanzal, winger Alexander Radulov and defenseman Marc Methot (remember him?).
The biggest change is Hitchcock behind the bench. The Stars won their only Stanley Cup under Hitchcock in 1999.
Can ‘Flower’ blossom? Marc-andre Fleury will start in goal but he’s still trying to find his mojo. He went 1-2 in the preseason, allowed 10 goals and looked shaky at times. Sure, he gave up some fluke goals, but he also got cleanly beat a couple of times. He’s still learning to work with his defensemen and he’ll need to have a big game against Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin and the rest of the Stars’ explosive forwards .
too fancy. But the lineup that will look to execute that system was still in a state of flux Thursday.
In a stunning move, backup goaltender Calvin Pickard was waived, which means Malcolm Subban will back up Marc-andre Fleury, who will start in goal Friday.
Center Vadim Shipachyov is expected to be recalled in time to play after he was sent to Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. The Knights may also have forward James Neal back for the opener. He was still on injured reserve Thursday, but the move was retroactive to before training camp and he can be activated at any time. Neal was recovering from surgery on his right hand.
Yet questions remain. The Knights squandered 21 straight power play opportunities in the preseason, which saw them go 3-4. Gallant continues to seek continuity for his forward lines. The defense looked shoddy at times, turning the puck over or simply getting out-skated by the opposition’s forwards creating odd-man chances.
But there aren’t any more dress rehearsals. The evaluations are complete. Friday, it begins for real.
“We’re ready,” Gallant said. “We’ve worked hard the last three weeks. I like our team. I like our guys. We’re as ready as we’re going to be.”
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @ stevecarprj on Twitter.