Gameday Preview: Texas Stars v. Manitoba Moose

Texas Stars 17-11-3-1, 38 pts #5 Central Division

v.

Manitoba Moose 13-17-2-0, 28 pts #8 Central Division

January 4th at 7:00 PM

H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Cedar Park, TX

The calendar has flipped to 2019, and the Texas Stars are trending in the right direction heading into Friday night's home game against the Manitoba Moose.

For one, they have collected 14 of a possible 20 points over their last ten games. Their second ranked power play has become the strength of the team, but they can also hang with anyone at even strength. In the last several home games, it has seemed that they can score almost at will. Their confidence in their offensive game is through the roof right now.

Secondly, Texas gets a big gun back in Denis Gurianov as he we reassigned to the AHL on Thursday. It comes at the expense of team-leading scorer Erik Condra, however. Condra was called up to the Dallas Stars in hopes that he can help generate some bottom six scoring. Gurianov has dazzled at the AHL level this season and has shown he can take over a game in stretches. Hopefully, he plays angry against Manitoba due to his demotion.

(credit: Texas Stars)

Rookie forward Tony Calderone also rejoined the fold on Thursday, having been called back up from the Idaho Steelheads. Texas hopes that he can parlay his recent hot streak (nine points in five games) into some staying power in the AHL.

The Manitoba Moose head into Texas hoping to begin an ascent from the Central Division basement. They've experienced plenty of roster instability this year largely due to call-ups. If you were to ask the Stars, though, that's no excuse. The Moose just don't do anything particularly well this season. If Texas is the playoff calibre team they appear to be, they need to come away with points in this one.

The puck drops at 7:00 PM CST.

Stars injury/call up report:

Scarlett (season-ending ACL injury)

Fedun, Hintz, Condra (call up)