The Blues game decides a lot about this one. It will show who Dallas plays in goal on the second night, how much the top lines skate on Friday, and whether the call-ups stay in the lineup. Until that game is played, it's fair to treat the Stars as a team that hasn't settled on anything yet. Nashville is in the opposite spot. It played Thursday, gets Friday off at home, and has already seen what went wrong against Minnesota.
For the Predators, it starts with staying out of the penalty box. Brunette said they started well and lost control once the penalties piled up. Against a Dallas team that will be on its second game in 2 nights, a disciplined start is the easiest way to make the Stars' legs a problem. Nashville also needs more than 20 shots. Saros can keep the score down, but someone besides Josi has to finish.
For Dallas, the issue is depth. Losing a center like Duchene means the bottom 6 changes, and the Stars will lean on AHL call-ups during the busiest stretch of their first week. If their top players carry them through Friday without heavy minutes, they show up in Nashville looking like the favorite. If the Blues game goes to overtime or gets physical, Saturday becomes a test of how deep the roster really is.
Puck drop is 7:00 PM CT. It's a Central Division game in the first week of the season, between a Nashville team that wants to bounce back at home and a Dallas team finishing its first trip through the schedule on the second night of a back-to-back.