Gameday Preview: Texas Stars v. Rockford IceHogs

Texas Stars 19-11-3-2, 43 pts #5 Central Division

v.

Rockford IceHogs 16-15-3-4, 39 pts #6 Central Division

January 11th at 7:00 PM

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

Rockford has had a rocky past few week. The Central Division foe has just three points since Christmas and broke up a six-game losing streak on Sunday with a win. However, that win was a 6-2 victory over the division-leading Iowa Wild.

The club has struggled since the recall of Collin Delia to the NHL. The netminder is getting shelled in Chicago, leaving Anton Forsberg and Kevin Lankinen to tend net in Rockford. Forsberg is 7-6-1 while Lankinen is 2-4-2.

(Credit: Texas Stars)

What more can be said about what the Stars are doing right now. At 8-0-0-1 in their last nine home games, everything is clicking. The power play is second in the league. The penalty kill is average, but it doesn't hurt them most nights as they've limited bad penalties much more than in the past. Multiple lines are scoring with regularity. Landon Bow is having the breakout season that he needed to make his case for the NHL long term.

Texas is 2-1 against Rockford this season, who is just behind them in the standings but trails them significantly by percentage thanks to all the games in hand that Texas has. Everyone in the division but the Moose has played at least two more games; some, including Rockford, have played three more.

This stretch until the All-Star game will be where the Stars catch up on games played. Therefore, the coaching staff is watching rest days to keep everyone fresh. Yesterday's practice was a limited one with the younger players being the only participants.

Stars injury/call up report:
Scarlett (season-ending ACL injury)
Fedun, Hintz, Condra (call up)