PREVIEW 11:00 AM CST
Playing for the third time in four nights, the Stars (13-8-1) take to the road in Phoenix tonight for a meeting with Dave Tippett's Coyotes (11-7-3). The game starts at 7:00 PM CST and will be broadcast on TXA-21.
This is the third of six meetings between the clubs this season. The Stars pulled off a pair of late-game comebacks in the first two games and won both via shootout. Dallas has shown over the least season-plus that it is arguably the best team in the NHL at playing comeback hockey. Nevertheless, it is never wise to press your luck too much.
Last night, the Stars opened the scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs but had to battle back from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 to grab a point before the Leafs prevailed in a shootout. Overall, the Stars have taken points in three straight games after losing their previous five in regulation.
Dallas' third line keyed the effort last night, with Eric Nystrom hustling up his sixth and seventh goals of the season and Radek Dvorak tying up the game in the third period with his second goal (first non-empty netter). The Stars have scored only three regulation goals in the two wins against Phoenix to date, with Loui Eriksson tallying one and Sheldon Souray and the now-injured Adam Burish both scoring last minute goals.
So far, whenever the Stars have played on back-to-back nights, Glen Gulutzan has given Andrew Raycroft the start in the back end game. While Raycroft has not necessarily been to blame, the Stars are 0-4 in those games. As such, the Stars may play Kari Lehtonen on consecutive nights for the first time this season.
The Coyotes, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks last night. Like the Stars, they are also playing for the third time in four nights. Phoenix has been in a win-one-lose-one pattern for their last six games, and are 5-4-1 in their last 10. Radim Vrbata has been the club's hottest offensive player of late, racking up five goals in the last four games.
On the injury front, the Stars will be without captain Brendan Morrow (IR, upper body), Burish (IR, broken hand) and defenseman Alex Goligoski (IR, broken thumb). Phoenix is missing Daymond Langkow (personal leave) and Michal Rozsival (face/head).
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