Dallas Stars Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Adversity, Oettinger, Seguin and More – The Hockey Writers – Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are currently navigating a “mini-slump” in what has otherwise been a stellar 2025-26 campaign. Sitting at 21-7-5, they remain second in the Central Division, but the week ahead will test their ability to bounce back from back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since October.
Here are the biggest storylines and the upcoming schedule for the week of Dec. 15–21, 2025.
Responding to Adversity
The Stars enter this week on a rare cold streak, having lost consecutive games to the Minnesota Wild (5–2) and the Florida Panthers (4–0). Head coach Glen Gulutzan has publicly challenged the team to “amp up their battle and compete level” after they were shut out by Florida and outshot significantly in recent outings.
Power-Play Outage
A major strength for Dallas earlier in the season, the power play has gone cold, going 0-for-3 against Florida and struggling to generate high-danger chances. Getting the special teams unit back in sync is a priority for the week ahead.
Oettinger’s Workload
Goaltender Jake Oettinger had been on a six-game winning streak before dropping his last two starts. While he remains one of the league’s top netminders this season, the defense in front of him has leaked shots recently (allowing 14 shots in the first period alone vs. Minnesota).
Seguin’s Milestone Moment
Veteran forward Tyler Seguin was recently honored for playing in his 1,000th NHL game. However, he’s out for the season with an ACL injury.
Road Trip Test
After Monday’s home game, the Stars head to California for a back-to-back set against the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. Dallas has been excellent on the road this season (riding a franchise-record road point streak earlier in December), and they will look to re-establish that dominance away from home.
Stars Schedule Dec. 15 – 21
| Date | Time (CST) | Opponent | Location | Notes |
| Mon, Dec 15 | 7:00 PM | Los Angeles Kings | American Airlines Center | Chance to snap the 2-game losing streak at home. |
| Thu, Dec 18 | 9:00 PM | San Jose Sharks | SAP Center (San Jose) | Start of a California road trip. |
| Fri, Dec 19 | 9:00 PM | Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center (Anaheim) | Second half of a back-to-back. |
| Sun, Dec 21 | 6:00 PM | Toronto Maple Leafs | American Airlines Center | Marquee matchup to close the week. |
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