The Pittsburgh Penguins, a team trying to make up ground in the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff race, will travel to Dallas, Texas, to face the Dallas Stars, a team tied for first place in the Central Division in the Western Conference. The game will be played at the American Airlines Arena and will air on Bally Sports Southwest. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8:00 PM ET on Friday night.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled this month as they have compiled a record of 3-7-1 in March following Tuesday’s 2-5 loss on the road against the New Jersey Devils. In the matchups the Penguins have lost this month, they have averaged 1.5 goals per game while averaging 5.67 goals per game in their wins, and two of their three wins coming against two of the worst teams in the NHL with wins at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 5-3 and the San Jose Sharks by a score of 6-3. 

Low scoring isn’t something new for the Penguins this season, however, as they are averaging the 8^th fewest goals per game in the league with an average of 2.93 goals per game. Dallas won convincingly in the only other time these two teams have played each other this season, as the Penguins lost by a score of 1-4 at home. They will look to avoid the series sweep this season when they travel to face the Dallas Stars.

The Dallas Stars have been the third-highest-scoring team in the NHL this season, with an average of 3.64 goals per game. This has led the Stars to have one of the better records in the Western Conference and a tie with the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division. However, Dallas has played one more game than the Jets and Avalanche. 

The Stars have had a successful month. They have compiled a record of 6-2 and are on a two-game winning streak, with wins at home against the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1 and the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 5-2. Dallas has outscored its opponents by an average of 4.13 to 3 goals per game over its last eight games this season. 

The Stars won on the road in their first meeting against the Penguins this season by a score of 4-1 and will look for a repeat performance when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.

WagerWeb lists the Dallas Stars as -195 moneyline favorites at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. Dallas has won four of the last five games in the series while winning by an average margin of 1 goal per game in the previous five games, including a 4-1 win against the Penguins earlier this season.

Dallas has been red hot offensively this month, averaging 4.13 goals per game, while Pittsburgh has only averaged 1.5 goals per game in their losses. The Stars have won four of the previous five meetings against the Penguins and defeated Pittsburgh on the road in the contest earlier this season by a score of 4-1. The Penguins have also struggled this month after compiling a record of 3-7-1 in March. However, four of the last five games in the series have been decided by one goal, so I am taking the puck line for the Pittsburgh Penguins at +1.5 when they travel to face the Dallas Stars.