Morning Skate Tidbits from Dallas vs. Minnesota

Here are Some Things I Heard Today

Sticks from another game

The Minnesota Wild are in town to play the Dallas Stars in a game that will either clarify home-ice advantage in the first round or muddy things up somethin’ fierce.

So ahead of tonight’s game on ESPN+/Hulu, here are some things I saw and heard today at morning skate.

• Speaking of national broadcasts, Dallas’s final game of the season in Buffalo has been picked up by TNT, though local fans will still be able to view their teams’ regular broadcasts. If you’re out of market and were hoping to watch that game live on ESPN+, that might be bad news. (Sorry, John.)

• Dallas is going back to a 12F/6D lineup tonight with Jake Oettinger in goal. Here’s what that lines and pairings looked like in rushes today:

  • Hryckowian-Johnston-Rantanen
    Robertson-Duchene-Bourque
    Erne-Hyry-Benn
    Hughes-Bäck-Blackwell
    
    Lindell-Heiskanen
    Harley-Myers
    Bichsel-Lyubushkin

  • Nils Lundkvist was not at morning skate. Glen Gulutzan said he’s sick, though it isn’t expected to be a long-term illness.

  • Michael Bunting and Radek Faksa skated, though neither participated in line rushes. Yesterday, Gulutzan said they’re hoping Bunting can play Saturday, and Faksa on Monday.

  • Cameron Hughes will play his second NHL game since his recall.

• In talking to Hughes today, he said the 8:00 start tonight is a first for him. Once in a while, an AHL game might have a 7:30 start, but never 8:00pm. It’ll be a bit of a routine change for him today, though he said he might try to get a walk in to help pass the time. It’s certainly a nice day for it.

• Arttu Hyry said the schedule doesn’t bother him too much. He doesn’t tend to take a long nap on game days, but there are plenty of other things he can get done during that time. He listed a few standard activities, but then I heard the word “schoolwork,” and I had to make sure I heard him right. Turns out, I did.