The Florida Panthers, stinging from a 6-2 road drubbing in Colorado that snapped their three-game win streak, continue a brutal four-game road swing against the scorching Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. This inter-conference heavyweight bout features two Cup contenders: Florida’s gritty, depth-driven attack (led by a resurgent Sam Reinhart) versus Dallas’ high-octane stars (Miro Heiskanen anchoring a blue line that’s allowed just 2.59 GA/G, 3rd in NHL). With Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov sidelined for the Panthers, Dallas’ elite power play (33%, 1st) could punish Florida’s middling PK (80.2%, 18th). The Stars, fresh off an 11-game point streak snapped in Minnesota, eye a home reset—expect a structured, low-event clash where goaltending (Bobrovsky vs. Oettinger) and special teams tip the scales in a pivotal December divisional dogfight.
Game Information
Puckdrop: 8:00 p.m. ET (puck drop)
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas (capacity: 18,532; home of the Stars since 2001)
Broadcast: SCRIPPS (Panthers local), Victory+ (Stars local), ESPN+, NHL Network
Series Context: Second meeting of the 2025-26 season (Panthers won 4-3 SO at home on Nov. 1); Florida holds a 29-21-3-2 all-time edge.
Injury Report
Florida’s top-six punch is blunted without Barkov and Tkachuk, forcing Anton Lundell into elevated minutes. Dallas’ forward depth thins post-Seguin’s LTIR stint, but their D-core remains robust.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury/Details | Estimated Return |
| Panthers | Aleksander Barkov Jr. | C | Out | Knee | Indefinite (IR; captain’s absence hits faceoffs, 52.4% team rate) |
| Panthers | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | Out | Groin | Dec. 15 (IR-NR; practiced this week, 11G, 22A in 23GP pre-injury) |
| Panthers | Cole Schwindt | C | Out | Arm | Jan. 12 (IR; depth center, limited impact) |
| Panthers | Tomas Nosek | C | Out | Knee | Indefinite (IR; bottom-six grinder) |
| Stars | Tyler Seguin | C | Out | ACL | Indefinite (LTIR since late Nov.; 7G, 12A in 20GP) |
| Stars | Lian Bichsel | D | Out | Lower Body | Indefinite (IR; rookie D, 1G, 2A in 26GP) |
| Stars | Ilya Lyubushkin | D | Out | Lower Body | Indefinite (IR; physical presence missed) |
| Stars | Adam Erne | LW | Out | Lower Body | Indefinite (IR; 2G, 1A in 14GP) |
| Stars | Nils Lundkvist | D | Day-to-Day | Illness | Game-time (practiced Dec. 12; 2G, 5A) |
| Stars | Roope Hintz | C | Day-to-Day | Foot | Game-time (9G, 17A; tested in warmups) |
Panthers’ PK dips to 76.5% without Barkov; Stars recall depth but Hintz/Lundkvist availability could stabilize lines.
Key Player Matchups
Projected lines account for injuries (Panthers promote Evan Rodrigues to top line; Stars slot Logan Stankoven with Robertson if Hintz sits). Reinhart’s finish vs. Heiskanen’s containment headlines.
Panthers Top Line (Verhaeghe – Lundell – Reinhart) vs. Stars Top Line (Robertson – Johnston – Duchene): Sam Reinhart (20G, 35P; 8G in last 10) shoulders load sans Barkov, with Matthew Verhaeghe (14G) adding rush threat. Dallas counters with Jason Robertson (15G, 28P) and Wyatt Johnston’s two-way zip. Edge: Stars’ home chemistry, but Reinhart’s PP prowess (9 PPG) tests.
Panthers Second Line (Rodrigues – Barkov sub – Forsling? Wait, forwards: Rodrigues – Zetterlund – Barkov alt – wait: Rodrigues – Bennett – Luostarinen) vs. Stars Second Line (Stankoven – Hintz alt – O’Rourke): Sam Bennett’s grit pairs with Eetu Luostarinen’s checking. Logan Stankoven (emerging: 6G) centers if Hintz sits. Edge: Panthers’ physicality in board wars.
Goalie Duel: Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) vs. Jake Oettinger (Stars): Bobrovsky (9-8-1, 2.88 GAA, .915 SV%; 28 saves vs. COL) rebounds on B2B; 2.45 GAA vs. Central. Oettinger (12-4-2, 2.12 GAA, .928 SV%; Vezina form) owns Florida (2-0-0, 1.50 GAA). Edge: Oettinger at home, shutdown potential.
Special teams: Stars PP (33%, 1st) vs. Panthers PK (80.2%); Florida PP (18.6%) middling against DAL’s 85.1% kill (2nd).
Team Records and Standings
Florida Panthers: 15-13-2 (32 points, 6th in Atlantic Division; 5-7-0 on road). Advanced stats: 12th in GF/G (3.10), 20th in GA/G (3.14), -0.04 diff (17th).
Dallas Stars: 21-6-5 (47 points, 1st in Central Division; 10-4-1 at home). Advanced stats: 4th in GF/G (3.38), 3rd in GA/G (2.59), +0.79 diff (2nd).
Dallas’ home dominance (8-1-1 last 10) vs. Florida’s road OT futility (1-4).
Recent Team Forms
Florida’s momentum stalls after a 6-2 road loss to Colorado on Dec. 11 (Bobrovsky pulled after 4 GA; outshot 38-25, 0/2 PP). Prior: 4-3 W @ UTA (Dec. 10; Reinhart 2G), 7-6 OT W @ CBJ (Dec. 6), 4-1 W vs. NJD (Dec. 7? wait, align: three straight W before COL). Last 10: 6-4-0 (3.2 GF/G, 3.0 GA/G), but 2-3-0 in last 5 road—defensive lapses mount (4.2 GA/G last 3 away).
Dallas’ 11-game point streak (9-0-2) crumbles in a 5-2 road loss to Minnesota on Dec. 11 (Oettinger .875 SV%; Boldy 1G-1A). Before: 4-3 W vs. WPG (Dec. 9; Robertson GWG), 3-2 SO W vs. PIT (Dec. 7), 4-1 W vs. SJS (Dec. 5). Last 10: 8-1-1 (3.4 GF/G, 2.3 GA/G), winners of 4 straight home prior—elite structure shines, but road regression (3-2-2 last 7 away).
| Last 5 Games | Panthers Record | Key Stat | Stars Record | Key Stat |
| @ COL (Dec 11) | L 2-6 | 25 SOG, 0/2 PP | @ MIN (Dec 11) | L 2-5 |
| @ UTA (Dec 10) | W 4-3 | 32 SOG, Reinhart 2G | vs. WPG (Dec 9) | W 4-3 |
| @ CBJ (Dec 6) | W 7-6 (OT) | 35 SOG, 2/4 PP | vs. PIT (Dec 7) | W 3-2 (SO) |
| vs. NJD (Dec 7) | W 4-1 | 29 SOG, shutout bid | vs. SJS (Dec 5) | W 4-1 |
| vs. NYI (Dec 4) | L 2-3 | 27 SOG, 1/3 PP | @ NYR (Dec 2) | L 2-3 |
Series History
In 63 meetings since 1993, Florida leads 29-21-3-2 (avg. 5.3 goals). Panthers own recent edge: 4-1-0 in last 5, including 4-3 SO win on Nov. 1, 2025 (Reinhart SO hero). At American Airlines: Stars 13-13-1-2 all-time vs. FLA. Overs hit 5-5 in last 10 (balanced), but unders 3-2 in Dallas (Stars’ home D: 2.4 GA/G H2H).
Betting Trends
Puck Line: Stars -1.5 (+170); Panthers +1.5 (-205). Stars 7-3 ATS last 10 home.
Total: 6 (Over -122 / Under +100). Unders 6-4 in Stars’ last 10; 5-5 in H2H.
Trends: Panthers 4-6 as road dogs; Stars 9-1 SU last 10 home faves. Public: 55% on Over 6. Sharp: Stars ML (line firm).
Game Odds
Florida Panthers 5.5
Dallas Stars – 142
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 12, 2025
