Stars host Canadiens in 7-4-1 record test

The Dallas Stars face the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. Thursday for the first meeting between the two teams this season. Montreal arrives on a three-game winning streak, while the Stars are 4-2-0 at home.

The Stars enter the game with a 7-4-1 overall record. Their scoring differential is plus-eight, with 32 goals scored and 24 allowed. The Canadiens hold a 7-3-2 record overall and are 3-1-1 on the road. Montreal leads the league in penalty minutes, averaging 5.2 per game for a total of 62.

Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars with six goals and eight assists. Jason Robertson has added five goals and eight assists over his last 10 games. On the visiting side, Nicholas Suzuki has five goals and seven assists, though he is currently listed as out with an upper-body injury. Cole Caufield has four goals and four assists in his last 10 games.

The Stars have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, averaging 3.1 goals and 5.1 assists per game. They have allowed 1.8 goals per game during that span. The Canadiens are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, averaging 2.8 goals and 4.5 assists while allowing 2.5 goals per game.

Injury lists for both teams are extensive. The Stars are missing Oskar Back, Radek Faksa, Cameron Hughes, Esa Lindell, and Matt Duchene. Sam Steel and Kyle Capobianco are day-to-day. The Canadiens are missing Ivan Demidov, Lucas Condotta, Nick Suzuki, Bryce Pickford, and Samuel Montembeault.

The Stars have averaged 4.2 penalties and 10.1 penalty minutes in their last 10 games. The Canadiens have averaged 5.2 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes over the same period. The game marks the first time the two clubs have played since the 2025-2026 season began.