Can Dallas Stars Harness Home Ice Advantage Against Vegas Golden Knights?

As the Dallas Stars prepare to host the Vegas Golden Knights at the American Airlines Center, fans are eager to see if their team can capitalize on their home ice advantage. The Stars have shown a strong performance in the previous season, with an impressive record that speaks volumes about their capabilities.

The team's shooting percentage stood at 11 percent last season, and they dominated faceoffs with a win percentage of 55 percent. With 281 goals from 2617 shots, their offensive prowess was clear. Their powerplay was formidable; they scored 64 goals from 441 shots – a conversion rate of 25 percent – which included opportunities across various player advantages.

Defensively, the Stars were just as solid. They had an excellent penalty kill percentage of 84 percent and won shorthanded faceoffs at a rate of 54 percent. This defensive strength contributed to an outstanding plus-minus rating of +212 for the season.

The goaltending stats also paint a picture of reliability between the pipes with wins outnumbering losses almost two-to-one and save percentages holding steady at an effective rate.

Analytics aside, it's crucial for Dallas to maintain discipline; penalties could disrupt their rhythm against a competitive Vegas side. The physicality will be there – averaging over twenty hits per game last season shows they're not shy about making their presence felt on the ice.

With such robust statistics backing them up, it's no wonder expectations are high for this matchup. However, games aren't won on paper; execution will be key in determining whether or not Dallas can use these trends to continue building momentum in front of their home crowd.

Fans can catch all the action live as these two teams clash on April 23rd at American Airlines Center in Dallas or tune into ESPN, SN360, TVAS, BSSW or SCRIPPS networks for broadcast coverage starting at 01:30 AM UTC (April 22nd local time).