Conference leaders go toe-to-toe

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said he started looking at the numbers for Tuesday's opponent, the Boston Bruins, and just set the paper down after a while.
"It doesn't look like they're bad at anything," DeBoer said.

Boston has the best record in the league at 39-8-5, for 83 points. Second place Carolina is seven points back.
Boston leads the NHL in goal differential at plus-80. Dallas and New Jersey are tied for second place at plus-42.
Boston leads the league in goals against at 2.14, in penalty kill at 85.6 percent, and is second in scoring at 3.67 goals per game.
"They're having a record-setting season in all areas," DeBoer said. "It's a great test for us, especially at this time of year, to see where we're at. We've had a few of those in the last couple of weeks with Carolina and Tampa in here. It's a good chance to see how we measure up."
Dallas competed hard against Carolina recently but lost in overtime. The Stars went toe-to-toe with Tampa Bay on Saturday but gave up the game-winning goal in the final minute of the third period. They have been close, but they need to take the next step.
"It's a great test for us," said forward Radek Faksa. "We played a top team the last game, and this is one of them as well, so they are tests. Against teams like this, you've got to play the full 60 minutes. The last five or 10 minutes against Tampa, we didn't play as good and that cost us the points."
Coaches and players called the loss "a lesson" and now they have to see if they can apply the teachings and play better. Dallas is 3-1-3 in a season-long eight-game homestand and would love to end the stretch with a win.
"I feel good about our game," DeBoer said. "They haven't all been perfect and they haven't all been wins. We've had some tough losses like last game, but when you look at our team game, it's been pretty good."
Dallas' 30-14-10 record is best in the Western Conference. The Stars rank second in goals against at 2.54, second in goal differential and third on the penalty kill at 83.6 percent. They are providing a challenge for the Bruins, as well.
"That's the exciting part, because we get to see what we're all made of tonight," forward Jason Robertson said. "It should be an exciting game. They're the No. 1 team in the league, so you can't take shifts off. That's what Pete really stressed this morning. It's going to be a good challenge to see what we're really made of."
The Bruins are under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Montgomery, who used to coach the Stars. He has them in a great place. The Stars are under the direction of DeBoer, who came from Vegas in the summer, and has Dallas in a great place. This is just one element that will make Tuesday's game a fun one.
"I think it's similar to here. You see their defensemen joining more, more involved in the rush, more offense that way," DeBoer said. "When you look at the defenseman scoring numbers, I think that's the biggest impact."
For Dallas, the difference probably is pace of play.
"I think it's how fast we're playing this year, moving the puck up ice, transition," Robertson said. "When Pete came in and changed the way we're playing, how fast we're thinking, how easy it is to trust the structure, I think that's something new for me, and everyone has embraced it."
Key Numbers
.939
Boston leads the NHL in even strength save percentage at .939. Dallas is second at .933
55.2 percent
Boston ranks second in the NHL in faceoff winning percentage at 55.2 percent. Dallas ranks third at 54.6 percent.
21
Boston's Brad Marchand has 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 17 career games against the Stars.
He said it
"It doesn't really get into my head. I do the best job I can to produce, and sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't. I'm getting my chances now, so I just need to stick with it."
- Stars forward Mason Marchment on his 24 game goal scoring slump.
Expected lineup
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Benn-Johnston-Dellandrea
Marchment-Faksa-Seguin
Studenič-Glendening-Gurianov
Heiskanen-Miller
Lindell-Hakanpää
Suter-Lundkvist
Oettinger
Wedgewood
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.