Early look The full preview opens on Saturday 17 October, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Boston Bruins at Dallas Stars: game preview

Puck drop20 Oct · 8:00 PM ET
VenueAmerican Airlines Center
All-time meetings48 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Twelve points apart last season

Boston finished last season 8th in the league on 100 points. Dallas finished 3rd on 112.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 49

Across 48 completed games, Boston lead the head-to-head 26-15-7.

All-time record26-15-7Boston's record in the series
Meetings played48This is number 49
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Dallas
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
31 Mar 2026DAL 3 – BOS 6——BOS
20 Jan 2026BOS 2 – DAL 6——DAL
14 Nov 2024BOS 2 – DAL 7——DAL
24 Oct 2024DAL 5 – BOS 2——DAL
19 Feb 2024DAL 3 – BOS 4 SO——BOS
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateBostonDallas
20 Jan 202628-20-2 · 58 pts11th28-13-9 · 65 pts4th
31 Mar 202643-24-8 · 94 pts8th44-19-12 · 100 pts4th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 20 Jan 2026, Boston were 11th in the league and Dallas 4th. By 31 Mar 2026 it was 8th and 4th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Dallas out-attempted Boston 106 to 95

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Boston Bruins

95 att · 42 on goal · 8 G · 19.0%
Crease7 att · 1 G
Slot37 att · 4 G
Wing33 att · 1 G
Point11 att · 0 G
Neutral zone7 att · 2 G

Dallas Stars

106 att · 53 on goal · 9 G · 17.0%
Crease10 att · 5 G
Slot39 att · 1 G
Wing39 att · 2 G
Point17 att · 1 G
Neutral zone1 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Dallas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

BostonDallas
2.87xG for per game3.08
3.13xG against per game2.44
47.8%xG share55.8%
−2.5FinishingGoals minus expected goals−3.2
+1.5GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.3

This season: 4 games for Boston, 3 for Dallas. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Boston

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2623.4% · 9th
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2772.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.0% · 24th
Faceoffs · 2026-2750.4% · 117/232
Drawn · 2026-2710 (2.50/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Dallas

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2628.6% · 2nd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2777.8%
Penalty kill · 2025-2680.3% · 13th
Faceoffs · 2026-2755.1% · 86/156
Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
47Mark Kastelic41230.75
10JJ Peterka42020.50
44James Hagens42020.50
14Jamie Benn31120.67
96Mikko Rantanen31120.67
21Jason Robertson31120.67
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
27Hampus Lindholm41120.50
91Nikita Zadorov40220.50
6Mason Lohrei40220.50
57Tyler Myers30000.00
23Esa Lindell30000.00
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 17 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 17 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Boston crease

BOS · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Oct

Jeremy Swayman.9143 GP · 2-1-0 · GSAx +1.4
Michael DiPietro.8971 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −0.7

No appearances against Dallas in the last meetings.

Dallas crease

DAL · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Oct

Jake Oettinger.9432 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx +2.0
Casey DeSmith.9231 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Boston in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.0 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

31 Mar 20269 · DAL 3–6 BOS
20 Jan 20268 · BOS 2–6 DAL
14 Nov 20249 · BOS 2–7 DAL
24 Oct 20247 · DAL 5–2 BOS
19 Feb 20247 · DAL 3–4 BOS

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Boston2.252.753.323.05
Dallas2.002.003.402.76

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.0Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings8.0Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

5 on the injury lists

Boston · injuries

Charlie McAvoySuspensionOutReturn13 Oct

Dallas · injuries

Cameron HughesUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct
Harrison ScottUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct
Luke KrysUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct
Matt DucheneLower BodyIRReturn25 Oct
5 Oct · BOS

Reinstated C Matthew Poitras from injured reserve.

4 Oct · BOS

Placed RW Michael Eyssimont on waivers.

27 Sep · BOS

Placed D Henri Jokiharju on waivers. Placed C Matthew Poitras on injured reserve.

5 Oct · DAL

Assigned D Cameron Bertucci to Texas (AHL).

1 Oct · DAL

Placed F Matt Duchene on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29. Recalled Fs Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from Texas (AHL).

30 Sep · DAL

Signed G Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract.

Injury report
#56Yuri IvanovRound 2 · Spartak Jr.G
#88Nils BartholdssonRound 3 · Rogle Jr.RW
#104Matvei KotkovRound 4 · Yaroslavl Jr.RW
#122Oscar OlssonRound 4 · Orebro Jr.LW
Full draft
#59Jakub VanecekRound 2 · Tri-cityD
#155Ryan BrownRound 5 · LondonLW
#187Anton Emil Wilde LarsenRound 6 · FrederikshavnG
#197Jasper KuhtaRound 7 · OttawaC
Full draft

Updated after every final