PREVIEW 7:30 AM CST

Looking for their third win in their first four post-All Star break games, the Dallas Stars (27-22-2) return to action at the American Airlines Center tonight for an important Pacific Division showdown with Dave Tippett's Phoenix Coyotes (24-21-8). The game starts at 7:30 PM CST and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.

This is the fourth of six meetings between the teams this season, and the second of three in Dallas. The Stars weaved some third period comeback magic to win a pair of October games decided via shootout, but were outplayed for the majority of both games. In the most recent meeting (Nov. 26 in Phoenix), an undermanned Stars team shot blanks in a 3-0 shutout loss in the desert.

Dallas has not played especially well since the All-Star break but has received stellar goaltending from Kari Lehtonen and just enough offense to gain four of six possible points so far. No Dallas player has tallied more than one regulation goal (Sheldon Souray, Loui Eriksson, Adam Burish) in the three games against Phoenix to date, although Eriksson, Mike Ribeiro and Trevor Daley scored in the two shootout wins.

One thing that has worked offensively for Dallas of late has been the long-struggling power play. Dallas has gone 3-for-7 on the man advantage over the last three games after going just 2-for-29 in the previous 11 games.

The Stars are still without team captain Brenden Morrow (IR, neck/shoulder ailment). Tomas Vincour has taken his place in the lineup. For Phoenix, defenseman David Schlemko (IR, broken foot) is out for the remainder of the regular season.

Phoenix has gone an unimpressive 4-4-2 over its last 10 games. However, the club is coming off a rousing 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Martin Hanzal, who has been quiet in the three games against the Stars to date, led the way against the Wings with a two-goal effort.


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