What to watch for as Stars resume play vs. Blues

The Dallas Stars emerge from a four-day break tonight to face Central Division foe St. Louis at American Airlines Center with a chance to move into a tie with the Blues for third place in the division.
Here's what to watch for in the fourth of five matchups between these two rivals.

Prove it all night

In the aftermath of last Sunday's desultory 6-0 home loss to the lowly Vancouver Canucks, netminder Ben Bishop assured questioners that the Stars would not fall into their pattern of emerging from breaks in the schedule with less-than-stellar performances.
They were flat against Minnesota coming out of the holiday break and likewise lethargic against Colorado after the bye week. The Stars also seemed out of sorts heading into and out of the All-Star break in late January with losses at home to Toronto and Los Angeles.
We know how they played heading into this break with the debacle against Vancouver, but the key is whether they've learned their lessons and can push the pace and dictate tone as they did in their last meeting with the Blues on Dec. 29, a 4-2 Dallas win.
"Just try to learn from our past mistakes here," said Bishop, who was excellent in the Stars' first win over the Blues this season.
"Obviously, we've come out a little slow after these three, four days off, so just be ready. We know we're playing a good team -- obviously an important game on home ice. Just go out there and play our game and not really worry about the break."
Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock said this break was different because the team was able to get on the ice.
"I think the last game, we were running on fumes, and I think with the three practices that we've had, it felt like you were in the American Hockey League and it was good," he said. "It was good for us and it was good for the players."

Seize the moment

There have been moments throughout the season when the Stars could have taken a significant step forward, not just in terms of the standings, but also in terms of their collective psyches. And for the most part, they have been unable to seize those moments.
Like last Sunday when a win over a Vancouver team very much in transition would have moved Dallas into third place in the Central Division for the first time since early November. -- and within a point of second-place Winnipeg.
Didn't happen.
Friday is another opportunity as a regulation win would move the Stars into a tie with the Blues in third place.
Now maybe it's a semantics thing being in third -- as opposed to the first wild-card spot, which is where the Stars have been for a number of weeks now. But simple math tells you the more distance you put between yourselves and the four or five-team fray trying to nail down one of the two wild-card spots, the better you are.
"I think the opponent gets your attention," said Hitchcock, who coached the Blues for parts of six seasons up until last February. "I think there's an obvious healthy dose of respect for their team and the way they play we've been playing catch-up all year, and now, we have an opportunity to catch them. And I think that gets everybody's attention, but we also know how hard it's going to be."
The danger in over-valuing this game, though, is that is somehow downgrades the three games the Stars will play on the road next week starting with Sunday's tilt with San Jose.
"I think not just this game, but every game from here on out is going to be an important game," said Bishop, who will get the start tonight. "So, yeah, obviously, it's an important game -- a team we're chasing. But I don't think this one's any more important than the next 15 after that.
"You've just got to come prepared."

Full house

It was rare to be at the morning skate this morning and not see Marc Methot or Martin Hanzal working out ahead of the main group, trying to get themselves back in game shape. That's because, for just the second time since Nov. 6, both Methot and Hanzal will be in the Dallas lineup.
With Methot returning from a knee injury that has seen him play just one game since that date, Julius Honka will exit the lineup. Methot is expected to play with Stephen Johns.
Of course, as we have learned in watching Hanzal struggle to stay in the lineup, it's not the playing that is necessarily the issue, but what happens afterward. Methot suffered so much pain after his one game on Jan. 4 that he was shut down for 15 more games.
Excited?
"I guess," Methot said. "I haven't played in a while, so I think the obvious answer is that you always have that little bit maybe of nervousness that sets in, just making sure that I can come in and do the job that I need to do. But surprisingly calm."
It's a cliché of sorts to suggest that having a healthy Methot in the lineup for the stretch run, as well as keeping Hanzal in the mix, is akin to adding two new players as the Stars and the rest of the NHL head toward the Feb. 26 trade deadline. But there is truth in that and how Methot responds to game action could have an impact on how general manager Jim Nill approaches the deadline.
"It's a little bit like catching a moving train for Marc," Hitchcock said. "He's missed lot of hockey, but he's been able to be with us for 14-15 days straight here. We've waited as long as we can wait. He looks really good. But this is going to be a challenge.
"We look at it as, providing he stays healthy, where is he going to be after five games. And that's the focus."

Out of the blocks

The Vancouver loss marked the seventh time in the last eight games that Dallas gave up the first goal.
Maybe it's true that it's how you finish, not how you start, and certainly, Hitchcock seemed less concerned about the slow starts as other elements of his team's play after the game. But it would seem self-evident that especially against St. Louis, which is coming off a disheartening loss to Nashville where it blew a 3-0 lead and lost in overtime and before that was thumped 4-1 at home by Pittsburgh, it might be good to put the pressure on the Blues early on.
Here's what faces the Stars if they continue to play the chase game against the Blues: St. Louis is 4-1-2 in its last seven road games, has scored first in 35 games this season, going 27-6-2, and is 18-0-2 when leading after one period of play.
Just saying.

Mirror, mirror

There isn't much that separates the two teams in the standings, and in some ways, there's not much that separates the two on the ice.
Both teams are exceptional playing 5-on-5 with the Blues enjoying a plus-19 goal differential, while the Stars are a plus-18. Both teams like to pressure opponents with checking rather than a quick-strike type of offense, although both teams have high-end talent.
Specifically, the Blues are even more dangerous now with the recent return of Jaden Schwartz from an ankle injury. He has six points in nine games since his return.
"I think both teams make you earn your ice. They don't give up ground easy," Hitchcock said. "They check hard -- they see the value of controlling lines on the ice and it's the same for us, I think. When you're difficult to play against and you check hard, you end up getting scoring chances in this league. And that's what's really changed in the last 10 years is the value of creating offense from being a really good checking group, and St. Louis is good at it and we've learned to be good at it.
"It makes for really, really intense hockey and I think both teams realize it."
Don't expect an offensive explosion, either, as the Blues rank fourth in the league in goals allowed per game and the Stars right behind them at No. 5.
"This is going to be a good one tonight," Blues head coach Mike Yeo said. "Looking at them, I think that they're going to be real jacked up here playing in front of their crowd. And looking at the standings and looking at the opportunity that they have, they're going to be real excited -- and why wouldn't they be? And I think we need that same type of excitement.
"It's going to be a fun game. It's going to be an intense game."
Since taking over for Hitchcock, under Yeo, the Blues are first in the NHL in goals against per game, even strength goals allowed per game and save percentage.
This story was not subject to approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Scott Burnside is a senior digital correspondent for DallasStars.com. You can follow him on Twitter @OvertimeScottB, and listen to his podcast.