DALLAS — While there was a slight backtrack on Friday, the Dallas Stars are going to make lineup changes when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Devin Shore is moving onto the first line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Alexander Radulov was moved to the second line with Mattias Janmark and Jason Spezza.
“It’s open for debate whether it works, but we won’t be afraid to change back. It’s more to try to and see if we can get other people going, and I think that it really helps us balance things out and see if we can do it,” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. “It’s not cast in stone, but it seemed like a good idea yesterday and it seemed like a good idea this morning.”
Shore has played with Benn and Seguin before at both five-on-five and on the power play, so it shouldn’t be too much on an adjustment for that line.
It will be first time that Radulov and Spezza have played together at even strength.
“He’s not a hard player to play with, I don’t think it’ll be that much of a concern,” Spezza said. “Plus I’m used to playing with (Janmark), so we should be in a good spot.”
In the bottom-six Antoine Roussel returns after missing four games due to illness and will play with Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick.
Remi Elie moves to the fourth line with Gemel Smith and Brett Ritchie.
The defense pairs will remain the same and Julius Honka will once again be scratched.
Ben Bishop will start in goal and has been perfect against Vegas this season. In two starts he has made 53 saves, including a full-game shutout and the season-opening loss where he left the game with an injury.
Vegas didn’t have media availability on Saturday morning, but former Stars prospect Maxime Lagace could start for Vegas after Malcolm Subban made 41 saves in the first game of a back-to-back against the Nashville Predators.
Golden Knights projected lineup
Jonathan Marchessault — William Karlsson — Reilly Smith
David Perron — Erik Haula — James Neal
Brendan Leipsic — Cody Eakin — Alex Tuch
Tomas Nosek — Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — Stefan Matteau
Luca Sbisa — Nate Schmidt
Shea Theodore — Deryk Engelland
Colin Miller — Brayden McNabb
Malcolm Subban
Maxime Lagace
Scratched: Jon Merrill, Oscar Lindberg
Injured: Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion), Oscar Dansk (lower body), William Carrier (lower body)
Stars projected lineup
Jamie Benn — Tyler Seguin — Devin Shore
Mattias Janmark — Jason Spezza — Alexander Radulov
Antoine Roussel — Radek Faksa — Tyler Pitlick
Remi Elie — Gemel Smith — Brett Ritchie
Esa Lindell — John Klingberg
Dan Hamhuis — Greg Pateryn
Jamie Oleksiak — Stephen Johns
Ben Bishop
Kari Lehtonen
Scratched: Julius Honka
Injured: Marc Methot (knee), Martin Hanzal (hamstring)
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