The 6-3-1 Dallas Stars have reversed course on what began as a tough start to the season.
On a four-game winning streak, the Stars aim to continue their good fortune at home on Sunday when they host a familiar face in Peter DeBoer and the 5-3-2 New York Islanders.
The game marks DeBoer’s return to Dallas. He served as the Stars’ coach for three seasons (2022-25), guiding the club to the Western Conference final on all three occasions.
The current Dallas squad began a season-high six-game homestand Tuesday, opening with a pair of 3-2 overtime victories. Both contests, however, required the Stars to rally in the third period.
“They haven’t been coming that easy, but I think we’ve done a great job the last two games (of) just sticking with it,” said Wyatt Johnston, who scored his first goal this season in Thursday’s victory over the Winnipeg Jets after totaling a career-high 45 in 2025-26.
“Especially in those third periods, we have been really good down a goal. We are just sticking with it. We are hard to play when we are playing our game and sticking to it as much as we can. It was great to get it done (on Thursday).
Roope Hintz scored the tying goal late in regulation and converted on a breakaway 3:47 into the extra session against the Jets.
“We were the better team (on Thursday),” Hintz said. “We had a lot of chances, but we just didn’t score on their goalie. Just talked in the room to keep going like this and eventually get the chance to put the puck in the net. We did that (Thursday) and it was good work.”
Mikko Rantanen followed up his hat trick against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday with a pair of assists two nights later.
Jake Oettinger has been downright stingy, yielding two goals or fewer in seven of his eight appearances this season.
“That’s the base,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said of Oettinger, “and now we just have to add to it.”
The Islanders extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2) with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Matthew Schaefer, 19, scored his 24th career goal and tied all-time great Bobby Orr for the second most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history. Hall of Famer Phil Housley leads that category with 46 goals.
Victor Eklund, 20, scored a goal in his second consecutive contest on Thursday for New York, which held a 32-15 edge in shots on goal through two periods against the Kings.
“I loved the first 40 minutes, and in the third they pushed back a little bit,” DeBoer said. “But the first 40 minutes, I mean, despite the scoreboard, I really liked how we played. I’m trying to think what we could have done better.”
The Islanders’ penalty kill couldn’t be any better in the last four games, as it has thwarted all 11 short-handed situations.