Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview

The Carolina Hurricanes will look to cap off a successful State Fair road trip when they face the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday night. Coming off a thrilling 5-4 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche while wearing their throwback Whalers uniforms, the Hurricanes enter this matchup with an impressive 6-1-0 record. However, their success has come at a steep price, as injuries continue to mount on their roster heading into this Central Division showdown.

Meanwhile, the Stars find themselves in an unfamiliar position early in the season under new head coach Glen Gulutzan. After opening the campaign with three consecutive wins, Dallas has stumbled to an 0-3-1 record in their last four games, struggling to find offensive consistency while dealing with defensive breakdowns and special teams woes. This matchup represents an opportunity for both teams to make a statement, with Carolina looking to prove their depth can overcome adversity and Dallas seeking to rediscover the scoring touch that made them one of the league’s most dangerous offensive teams just a season ago.

Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview: injury crisis tests Hurricanes’ depth

The Hurricanes are navigating through perhaps their most challenging stretch of the early season, with six regular lineup players currently sidelined. The injury list reads like a who’s who of Carolina’s core roster, featuring star defenseman Jaccob Slavin, goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov, and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller. Most recently, the team lost forwards William Carrier and Eric Robinson during Thursday’s game in Colorado, with head coach Rod Brind’amour indicating both players are expected to be “out for an extended period.”

The silver lining in this adversity has been the opportunity for Carolina’s youth movement to accelerate ahead of schedule. Rookies Alexander Nikishin, Charles Alexis Legault, Joel Nystrom, and Bradly Nadeau are all in line for expanded roles as the Hurricanes attempt to maintain their position near the top of the Metropolitan Division standings. These young players will face their toughest test yet against a Stars team that, despite recent struggles, still possesses significant offensive firepower.

Frederik Andersen has been a stabilizing force amid the chaos, turning in a heroic 44-save performance in Colorado that marked his most saves as a Hurricane. The 36-year-old veteran is sporting a 4-1-0 record with a .915 save percentage and 2.56 goals-against average. However, after playing two consecutive games including that heavy workload on Thursday, the Hurricanes may turn to rookie Brandon Bussi to close out the road trip.

If called upon, Bussi would be making his third NHL start after backstopping wins over the Sharks and Kings earlier on this trip. The 27-year-old has been solid in his limited action, posting a .911 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against average. His composure in his first two starts has given the coaching staff confidence that he can handle the pressure of facing a desperate Stars team.

Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview: Jarvis leading offensive charge

Few players in the NHL have been hotter to start the 2025-26 season than Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes’ rising star has been nothing short of sensational, recording points in all seven games to begin the campaign and leading the team with 11 points. His performance in Colorado was particularly impressive, scoring once in regulation before netting the shootout winner to secure the victory.

Jarvis enters Saturday’s game tied for the league lead with seven goals through seven games, a remarkable achievement that has him on pace for a career-defining season. His chemistry with linemate Sebastian Aho has been particularly noteworthy, as both players have recorded at least one point in each of Carolina’s first seven games. According to official team records, this makes them just the third duo in franchise history to accomplish this feat to start a season.

The 23-year-old’s emergence as a bona fide scoring threat couldn’t have come at a better time for Carolina. With the injury situation depleting the roster’s depth, Jarvis has stepped up to shoulder more of the offensive burden. His ability to create scoring chances at even strength and on special teams has kept opponents honest and prevented them from focusing too heavily on neutralizing Aho.

Against Dallas specifically, Jarvis has shown he can produce, tallying five points (2-3-5) in eight career games against the Stars. His combination of speed, skill, and hockey sense makes him particularly dangerous in transition, which could be problematic for a Dallas team that has struggled with defensive zone coverage in recent games. If the Stars allow quick transitions, Jarvis has the ability to make them pay.

Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview: Stars searching for offensive identity

The Dallas Stars’ offensive struggles have become the primary storyline of their early season under Glen Gulutzan. After ranking third in the NHL in scoring last season at 3.35 goals per game, the Stars have plummeted to 19th this year at 3.00 goals per contest. More concerning is their 5-on-5 production, with just 12 goals at even strength—tied for the fourth-fewest in the league.

Gulutzan has emphasized patience as his team adjusts to new systems and concepts, noting that offensive production is “never linear” and that scoring droughts are part of the game. “It’s up and down, you get hot and you get cold,” Gulutzan explained following Thursday’s overtime loss to Los Angeles. “Fifty-goal-scorers don’t score, usually, in fifty straight games. Same thing with us, we’ll find it.”

The coach has been drilling defensive details in practice, which showed improvement in Thursday’s game where Dallas limited Los Angeles to minimal scoring chances before falling 3-2 in overtime. However, this defensive focus may have come at the expense of offensive creativity and flow. Players like Roope Hintz have acknowledged the team might be overthinking situations, with Hintz stating, “We had good looks tonight, but it’s still not good enough because we have to put those in the net.”

Finding cleaner breakouts has been a particular challenge for the Stars. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who logged 28:07 of ice time on Thursday, admitted the team has been “thinking too much or trying too much once in a while” and needs to simplify their approach. Heiskanen enters Saturday’s game riding a three-game point streak against Carolina and has tallied 13 points in 19 career games against the Hurricanes.

Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview: special teams could decide outcome

The contrasting fortunes of both teams on special teams could play a decisive role in Saturday’s outcome. Dallas enters the game with the third-best power play in the NHL at 31.8% (7-for-22), a unit that has provided much-needed offense during their recent struggles at even strength. The Stars’ ability to convert with the man advantage has kept them competitive in games where they’ve been outplayed at 5-on-5.

However, Dallas’s penalty kill has been a disaster through seven games, operating at just 65.2% efficiency—30th in the NHL. This vulnerability creates an obvious path to victory for Carolina, though the Hurricanes’ own power play has sputtered to start the season at just 7.7% (2-for-26). Despite their overall success, Carolina’s inability to capitalize on man advantages has been one of the few weaknesses in their game.

Carolina’s penalty kill, by contrast, has been excellent at 88.9% (24-for-27). Given Dallas’s reliance on power-play production for offense, the Hurricanes’ ability to shut down the Stars’ top unit could effectively neutralize one of Dallas’s few consistent weapons. The matchup between Dallas’s power play and Carolina’s penalty kill may well determine which team emerges victorious.

Discipline will be crucial for both teams. The Stars cannot afford to give the Hurricanes multiple power-play opportunities despite Carolina’s struggles, as even a low-percentage unit can break through with enough attempts. Conversely, Dallas needs to draw penalties and get their power play on the ice to maximize their scoring chances, given their difficulties generating offense at even strength.

Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars game preview: historical context and key matchups

The all-time series favors Dallas, which holds a 53-36-10 record against Carolina, including a 29-15-4 mark on home ice. However, recent history has tilted heavily toward the Hurricanes. Carolina swept the Stars in the 2024-25 season, securing a 6-4 victory at home and a 2-1 win in Dallas. The Hurricanes have dominated the overall season series in recent years, though Dallas has earned points in seven of the last 10 meetings (5-3-2) dating back to April 2021.

Beyond individual player performances, the stylistic matchup presents intriguing questions. Carolina ranks fourth in the NHL in shot attempt differential at even strength (SAT) at 55.8%, continuing their multi-year dominance in possession metrics. The Hurricanes have led the league in this category for three consecutive seasons, showcasing their ability to control play and dictate the pace of games. Dallas will need to find ways to disrupt Carolina’s possession game and create turnovers in the neutral zone.

The physical dimension could also factor into the outcome. Carolina ranks 29th in hits per game at 18.8, maintaining their preference for a speed-based, possession-oriented approach over heavy physicality. Dallas ranks slightly higher at 20th with 20.3 hits per game, though neither team builds its identity around physical play. The team that can win puck battles in key areas—particularly in front of the net and along the boards—will gain crucial advantages.

Jason Robertson has been one of the most consistent Stars performers, totaling seven points (3-4-7) through the first seven games. More impressively, Robertson has been dominant in his career against Carolina, recording 18 points (5-13-18) in 14 games with a plus-9 rating and a team-high 1.29 points per game. If Dallas is going to snap out of their offensive funk, Robertson will likely need to lead the way. The addition of Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas lineup has also provided a boost, as he’s tallied 11 points in his last seven games against the Hurricanes.

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Saturday’s matchup represents a critical juncture for both franchises. The Hurricanes will look to prove their organizational depth can sustain success despite mounting injuries, while the Stars desperately need a signature win to regain confidence and momentum. Carolina’s combination of strong goaltending, depth scoring led by Jarvis, and excellent penalty killing gives them multiple paths to victory. Dallas, meanwhile, must capitalize on their power-play opportunities and hope their recent defensive improvements translate into a complete performance. With both teams facing unique challenges and pressures, this game has all the makings of a tightly contested affair that could come down to special teams execution and goaltending. The puck drops at 8:00 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center, where the Stars will attempt to recapture their early-season magic against a Hurricanes team that refuses to use injuries as an excuse.