October 3rd: at Dallas Stars
Everybody looks forward to opening night. Boston opens up October 3 in Dallas against the Stars. Both games against the Stars went to overtime last year. The Bruins won the first game 2-1 but lost the second 1-0.
Dallas has lofty expectations after a strong season last year. The Stars only finished fourth in the Central, but they defeated Nashville in the first round. Dallas then lost a hard-fought seven game series to St. Louis.
The Stars boast an impressive group of forwards. Old friend Tyler Seguin is back as the team’s top scorer, and he partners with Alex Radulov and Jamie Benn up front. They’ll see a heavy dose of McAvoy and Chara.
Dallas added veterans Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry this offseason. Pavelski signed a $21 million deal, while Perry signed for one year after Anaheim bought him out.
Dallas also has a number of talented defensemen that will test Boston’s forwards. John Klinberg, Miro Heiskanen, and Esa Lindell are all mobile and capable of big minutes. Each had at least 30 points last year.
Marchand and Pastrnak need to get off to a fast start against the Stars. The Bruins only scored two goals in two games against Dallas last season. They’ll need to find the back of the net in game one of the season.