Early look · NHL 2026-27

Dallas Stars at Florida Panthers: game preview

DallasStars2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 50-20-12 · 112 pts · 3rdat

FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25th

Puck drop13 Feb · 6:00 PM ET

VenueAmerant Bank Arena

All-time meetings57 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Twenty-eight points apart last season

Dallas finished last season 3rd in the league on 112 points. Florida finished 25th on 84.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 58

Across 57 completed games, Florida lead the head-to-head 33-21-3.

All-time record33-21-3Florida's record in the series

Meetings played57This is number 58

2025-26 series—

Last 55-0Florida

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

13 Dec 2025FLA 4 – DAL 0——FLA

1 Nov 2025DAL 3 – FLA 4 SO——FLA

2 Nov 2024DAL 2 – FLA 4——FLA

1 Nov 2024FLA 6 – DAL 4——FLA

12 Mar 2024FLA 4 – DAL 3——FLA

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDallasFlorida

1 Nov 20256-3-3 · 15 pts9th6-5-1 · 13 pts21st

13 Dec 202521-7-5 · 47 pts2nd16-13-2 · 34 pts20th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 1 Nov 2025, Dallas were 9th in the league and Florida 21st. By 13 Dec 2025 it was 2nd and 20th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Florida out-attempted Dallas 119 to 86

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

Dallas Stars

86 att · 37 on goal · 3 G · 8.1%

Crease5 att · 0 G

Slot36 att · 3 G

Wing32 att · 0 G

Point12 att · 0 G

Neutral zone1 att · 0 G

Florida Panthers

119 att · 51 on goal · 7 G · 13.7%

Crease9 att · 2 G

Slot54 att · 1 G

Wing34 att · 3 G

Point20 att · 0 G

Neutral zone2 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Dallas and Florida are level on 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.

DallasFlorida

3.08xG for per game3.01

2.44xG against per game2.34

55.8%xG share56.3%

−3.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0

+1.3GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.4

This season: 3 games for Dallas, 4 for Florida. 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

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

Florida

Small sample

Power play · 2026-274.3%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229

Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/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.

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 →

Dallas

Expected starter after their game on 12 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Florida

Expected starter after their game on 12 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Dallas crease

DAL · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Feb

Jake Oettinger.9432 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx +2.0

Casey DeSmith.9231 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Florida in the last meetings.

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Feb

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2

Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0

No appearances against Dallas in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 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

13 Dec 20254 · FLA 4–0 DAL

1 Nov 20257 · DAL 3–4 FLA

2 Nov 20246 · DAL 2–4 FLA

1 Nov 202410 · FLA 6–4 DAL

12 Mar 20247 · FLA 4–3 DAL

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Dallas2.002.003.402.76

Florida2.002.003.063.37

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 suggest5.9Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.8Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

9 on the injury lists

Dallas · injuries

Cameron HughesUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Harrison ScottUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct

Luke KrysUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Matt DucheneLower BodyIRReturn25 Oct

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct

Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov

Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

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.

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.

Injury report

Dallas · 2026 draft

See all: Dallas · 2026 draft →

#59Jakub VanecekRound 2 · Tri-cityD

#155Ryan BrownRound 5 · LondonLW

#187Anton Emil Wilde LarsenRound 6 · FrederikshavnG

#197Jasper KuhtaRound 7 · OttawaC

Full draft

Florida · 2026 draft

See all: Florida · 2026 draft →

#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW

#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC

#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD

#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW

Full draft

Saturday 13 February · the full slate

See all: Saturday 13 February · the full slate →

FLAThis game 6:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Dallas Stars at Florida Panthers: game preview

Twenty-eight points apart last season

Meeting number 58

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Florida out-attempted Dallas 119 to 86

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

Dallas and Florida are level on chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Dallas

Florida

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Dallas crease

Florida crease

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

9 on the injury lists

Dallas · injuries

Florida · injuries

Latest moves

Dallas · 2026 draft

Florida · 2026 draft

Saturday 13 February · the full slate