Which team wants it more? Stars, Predators fight for their playoff lives

Stars (21-17-12, 54 points) vs. Predators (27-22-2, 56 points)

The great thing about the playoffs before the playoffs? They really do reveal which team deserves to move on.
Dallas pretty much needs to beat Nashville Saturday night if it hopes to keep alive its chances of making the playoffs. The Stars are two points back with a game in hand. Nashville holds the tiebreaker in regulation wins (19-16). So that means a loss in regulation would mean Dallas would be four points back with the need to get at least a point ahead of the Predators.
That wouldn't be easy.
If the Stars win in regulation, they are tied with Nashville in the standings and have a game in hand. That would make passing the Predators much more realistic.
"If they win, we're still in it because of the game in hand, but then we need some help, and we don't want to put ourselves in that position," Stars coach Rick Bowness said on Friday. "Even though we lost [Thursday], we still have a game in hand and we still have a game with them, so we still control our own destiny. We don't want to put ourselves in a position where we have to rely on other teams to help us."

The Predators understand the importance of the game, as well, and said it's fun facing a Stars team that has become a solid rival. The two teams go back to the Central Division before this season and also participated in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. That creates a lot of emotion.
"Dallas is a team we've built a rivalry with over the years, and it's a big moment for our guys," said Nashville center Ryan Johansen. "[It's a big moment for] myself and our young guys to go out there and have a big impact on this game that could be a difference maker in making the playoffs or not. We're pumped up."
Dallas lost at Tampa Bay on Thursday and has been playing a very condensed schedule to catch up. Nashville is coming off a 7-4 loss to Florida on Tuesday but has had three days off to prepare for this game.
"With the schedule, there's a lot of bumps and bruises, so for our guys to have a couple days to recuperate and heal up a little bit, it's been nice," Johansen said. "At the same time, you want to just get back out there on the ice and play right now this time of year, so we're ready to get back at it."

What to watch

Anton Khudobin will get the start in goal. Khudobin is coming off a 5-1 loss to Carolina on Tuesday and is 2-2-2 in his past six games. However, he's been fantastic in Nashville, and that tipped the scales in his favor for this game, Bowness said.
"You can't ignore Dobby's record in this rink, you just can't ignore that," Bowness said, adding that Jake Oettinger had played great in recent games, but the decision to go with Khudobin was clear cut.
Khudobin is 4-1-3 in games at Bridgestone Arena with a 1.61 goals-against average and .948 save percentage.

Lineup updates

Tyler Seguin is listed as "very, very questionable," according to Bowness.
The Stars' leading scorer last season has been out all year after offseason hip surgery but has been skating every day.

Numbers

3-0-4

The Stars are 3-0-4 against Nashville this season. Dallas is 5-12 in overtime and shootouts this season, while Nashville is 8-2. Those wins have been huge in keeping the Predators ahead of the Stars.

59-49

Nashville has outscored opponents 59-49 in the third period. The Predators have been outscored 44-33 in first periods and 51-41 in middle frames.

75 percent

Nashville ranks 29th in the NHL in penalty kill success at 75 percent. Dallas ranks seventh in power-play success at 23.6 percent.

He said it

"We're going to move some people around. That's just unacceptable. The units will change for Saturday]." *-- Bowness on the team's power-play alignment. Dallas gave up a third period shorthanded penalty shot in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday*
*This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.*
***[Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast*.