PREVIEW 10:15 AM CST

Looking to start a new winning streak and end a three-game western Canada road trip with two victories, the Dallas Stars (7-6-1) face a tough test in British Columbia tonight when they take on the Vancouver Canucks (8-2-2). The game starts at 9 PM CST (7 PM PST) and will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.

This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season. They will rematch next Thursday. Last year, the teams did not play at all through the first two-thirds of the season and then saw each other four times in less than a month.

In last year's season series, the Stars pulled off a dramatic comeback overtime win in the first game in Vancouver. Trailing 2-0 late in the second period, Michael Ryder got the Stars on the board with a power play goal. With under a minute to play in regulation, now-former Stars center Mike Ribeiro tied the game at 2-2. Loui Eriksson capped the comeback with a goal in overtime.

One week later in Dallas, the Stars once again fell behind 2-0 in the second period. Goals by Eriksson and Ribeiro late in the second period forged a 2-2 tie. In the final period, the Stars exploded for three goals. B.C. native Jamie Benn put Dallas ahead early in the period, and insurance goals by Ribeiro and Stephane Robidas (empty netter) made a winning goalie of backup Richard Bachman.

The teams played for the third time in late March, and then concluded the season series eight days later. Vancouver won both matches. The third game, played in Dallas, was held close by Kari Lehtonen but Dallas was unable this time to come all the way back from a 2-0 deficit. Vern Fiddler's mid third-period tally was the lone one for the Stars. The final season series game was a 5-2 cakewalk for the Canucks.

Dallas enters tonight's game coming off an ugly 7-4 loss in Calgary, which snapped the Stars' four game winning streak. Brenden Morrow scored a pair of goals while Cody Eakin and Eric Nystrom had individual tallies in a losing cause.

The Stars have sent top blueline prospect Jamie Oleksiak back to the AHL after a five-game stint with the big club. He had some good moments and his share of mistakes in an average 15:40 of ice time. Oleksiak recorded his first NHL point (an assist) in the game in Calgary. With Oleksiak back in the minors, Philip Larsen is likely to move back into the starting lineup for the time being.

Vancouver expects to welcome Ryan Kesler back to the lineup for the first time this season. The 28-year-old center has frequently been a thorn in the Stars' side in his career.

PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)

STARS

10 Brenden Morrow - 14 Jamie Benn - 68 Jaromir Jagr
21 Loui Eriksson - 11 Derek Roy - 73 Michael Ryder
18 Reilly Smith- 20 Cody Eakin - 60 Antoine Roussel
24 Eric Nystrom - 38 Vernon Fiddler - 40 Ryan Garbutt

4 Brenden Dillon - 3 Stephane Robidas
36 Philip Larsen - 33 Alex Goligoski
6 Trevor Daley - 27 Aaron Rome

32 Kari Lehtonen
[31 Richard Bachman]


CANUCKS

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Zack Kassian
Mason Raymond - Jordan Schroeder - Jannik Hansen
Aaron Volpatti - Maxim Lapierre - Dale Weise

Dan Hamhuis - Alexander Edler
Jason Garrison - Kevin Bieksa
Keith Ballard - Chris Tanev

Cory Schneider
[Roberto Luongo]

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