DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 21: Radek Faksa #12 of the Dallas Stars controls the puck against Jaden Schwartz #17 of the St. Louis Blues in the first period at American Airlines Center on February 21, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

After picking up a big road win to start the series, the Dallas Stars are back home for Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues. The game offers the Stars a chance to not only take control of the momentum in the series, but also to stomp out the Blues’ streak of success away from home.

It’s been one week since the Dallas Stars last played on their home ice at the American Airlines Center. That game ended up becoming one of the most memorable Stars home games of the past decade.

With two consecutive wins under their belt and a trip to the Western Conference semifinals on the line, the Stars welcomed the Nashville Predators to the AAC for Game 6 of their opening round series.

And, after falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Stars picked up a goal from Blake Comeau in the middle frame to tie things up. That goal sparked nearly 30 minutes of open hockey with a plethora of scoring chances for both clubs and an energetic and emotional rollercoaster for the 18,532 fans in attendance.

Regulation proved to not be enough, leaving the two teams to settle things in overtime. And with 2:58 remaining in the first overtime frame, John Klingberg sealed the game and the series with a nifty wrist shot through traffic that sent toe crowd into an uproar. It was just the second time since 2008 that the Stars had won a playoff series and the first time that they clinched on home ice.

Three days later, they were back in action to kick off their second-round series against the St. Louis Blues.

And, like they did in round one with the Predators, they found a way to split the two-game set at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. After dropping a narrow 3-2 loss in Game 1, the Dallas Stars rebounded and secured a 4-2 victory in Game 2. Both games involved thrilling storylines and comeback bids by the losing clubs, as well as plenty of entertainment and excitement throughout.

But the Stars did what they had to do on the road and picked up a win. And now, they are back home for two games and have a chance to take control of the series.

This isn’t a new opportunity for Dallas, though. In their first-round matchup with the Predators, the Stars returned home for Game 3 with a 1-1 split and had a chance to build a 3-1 series lead using home ice advantage. That chance disappeared when they dropped a 3-2 loss in Game 3 and were forced to claw back to even with a big win in Game 4. Still, their effort in Game 3 was commendable.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we were the better team, and we continued to get better,” said Stars coach Jim Montgomery about Game 3 against Nashville. “We need to continue to get better in this series because I thought St. Louis improved a lot from Game 1 to Game 2 in a lot of areas. We have to do the same.”

The same opportunity is there this time around, and both clubs did look more focused and energetic in Game 2.

But in this situation, the Stars will be trying to stomp out the Blues’ hot streak.

St. Louis has yet to drop a game on the road in the 2019 postseason. They won three games on the road in their first-round matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, claiming Games 1, 2, and 5 at Bell MTS Place in front of a sold-out “Winnipeg Whiteout” crowd. That’s not an easy task for any team, but the Blues made it look relatively simple as they outscored the Jets 9-6 and picked up the road sweep.

“They’ve been so good on the road and they’re deep up front and on the backend. I think looking at our discipline is the biggest thing we need to get better at.” – Jim Montgomery after morning skate

So, tonight’s Game 3 offers both teams an opportunity at momentum. In addition, it gives the Blues a chance to continue their hot streak while the Stars have a chance to cut it short.

Following morning skate on Monday, it was made clear that Dallas is not planning to change their lineup from the first two games.

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov

Jason Dickinson – Roope Hintz – Mats Zuccarello

Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau

Mattias Janmark – Justin Dowling – Jason Spezza

Esa Lindell – John Klingberg

Miro Heiskanen – Roman Polak

Taylor Fedun – Ben Lovejoy

Ben Bishop

After dominating in the final few games of the first round, the Stars’ top line of Benn, Seguin, and Radulov has been held scoreless at even strength through the first two games. Meanwhile, the second line of Dickinson, Hintz, and Zuccarello dominated in Game 2, combining for two goals and seven points in the 4-2 victory. The rest of the Dallas offense has been churning along as well, generating chances and applying pressure.

The defensive pairings will remain the same as well while Jamie Oleksiak continues to nurse a lower-body injury.

In the crease, Ben Bishop will make his ninth consecutive start for the Dallas Stars. He is 5-3 so far in the postseason with a .938 save percentage and 2.05 goals against average.

Game 3 provides yet another critical juncture in the Stars’ 2019 playoff run. If they win, they have a chance at seizing momentum in the series and putting the Blues behind. On the other hand, a loss would require a strong bounce back effort in Game 4 and would put a lot of weight on a trip back to St. Louis for Game 5.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the American Airlines Center. Tune in to NBCSN to see the next chapter of this thrilling series unfold.