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Hockey

What I’m Watching: The Stars Versus the Team They Want To Be

Plus: plenty of FC Dallas representation in the World Cup and the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
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Slowing down Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon would be a statement performance for the Stars' defense. Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavs measuring stick game turned out to be anything but once three of Denver’s four best players—including two-time MVP Nikola Jokic—sat out of Friday’s blowout victory. (What does it say about Sunday’s narrow loss, which also came without those three on the floor?). SMU’s week was even more disappointing after their 59-24 shellacking in the Big Easy against Tulane. The Cowboys? Anything but a letdown in one of the best games an NFL team has played this season.

Here’s what I’m watching this week.

Monday, 11/21—Avalanche at Stars7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Southwest

If you read David Castillo’s piece from Thursday, you probably noticed a little nugget about how some of the hockey sharps have the Stars as a top-three favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Really, they do! What better way to test their mettle than against the actual Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche? Win or lose, David will have more this week about the ways this team has grown over the past year.

Thursday, 11/24—The Cowboys’ defense versus Daniel Jones3:30 p.m., FOX

Daniel Jones isn’t terribly good, but he’s been good enough to lead the Giants to a 7-3 mark that’s identical to Dallas’. More importantly for the Cowboys, he makes plays with his legs, and Dan Morse recently dove into this defense’s issue with mobile quarterbacks. While Jones doesn’t pose a challenge on par with Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, he did rush for 79 yards on nine carries in these teams’ first meeting back in September. Clamping down on him in the rematch should do more than lead to a win. It would be something for Dallas to build on when it gets another shot at the Eagles in one month.

Friday, 11/25—World Cup: The United States versus England1 p.m., FOX

I know you’re watching this, too. And when we do, we’ll see plenty of FC Dallas representation between presumptive starters Jesus Ferreira (the team’s current striker), Weston McKennie (a youth academy product who plays for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A), and Walker Zimmerman (a former draftee who played with the team for five seasons), plus reserve Kellyn Acosta (a Plano native, youth academy product, and player from 2013 through 2018). Mark Dent will have more this week about how FCD is the engine that is driving the USMNT’s future.

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Mike Piellucci

Mike Piellucci

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Mike Piellucci is D Magazine's sports editor. He is a former staffer at The Athletic and VICE, and his freelance…

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