PREVIEW 12:45 PM CST

Coming off a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss in Nashville, the Dallas Stars (9-8-2) head to eastern time zone tonight to play the Columbus Jackets (5-12-2). The game starts at 6:00 p.m. CST and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

Dallas' problems in the second half of back-to-back games have been well-documented. Thus far in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, they are 0-4-0, and they drag a 1-15-2 record in such games into Columbus tonight.

This is the second of three meetings between the teams this year, and the second and final one in Columbus. On Jan. 28, the Jackets nipped the Stars by a 2-1 score. Derek Dorsett and Vaclav Prospal scored for Columbus, while Philip Larsen (power play) notched the lone Dallas goal.

The Stars have been in a fine offensive groove of late. Including last night's game in Nashville, Dallas has scored three or more goals in 10 straight games. The club can tie the 12-year-old franchise record streak if they score three goals tonight. In the game against the Predators, Matt Fraser scored his first NHL goal, while Reilly Smith, Vernon Fiddler and Loui Eriksson tallied goals in the midst of a four-goal explosion in the second period that ultimately went for naught.

Jamie Benn has been the hottest Dallas forward of late. With his assist last night on Fiddler's power play goal, Benn has 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) over the last 10 games. Michael Ryder has also been in a groove lately, potting a pair of goals and seven assists during his current six-game point streak.

Unfortunately for Dallas, the team defense and goaltending of late have been every bit as spotty as the offensive side has been clicking. In the absence of Kari Lehtonen, the club has yielded four or more goals in four of the last six games. Last night, Cristopher Nilstorp surrendered five goals on 21 shots.

Perhaps Columbus' generally weak offense will be one that Dallas could contain. The Blue Jackets enter tonight's game as the lowest-scoring team in the NHL (2.05 goals scored per game). They have scored two or fewer goals in 13 of their 19 games to date.

Tonight's game is the first one at home for Columbus in quite awhile. They finished their season-high six-game road trip with a 1-5-0 record, including a 1-0 shutout defeat at the hands of Chicago.

On the injury front, Kari Lehtonen (groin) is questionable for tonight. Philip Larsen (head), Aaron Rome (foot) and Ray Whitney (foot) are definitely out. For Columbus, Artem Anisimov (head), Brandon Dubinsky (knee), James Wisniewski (broken foot) and Jack Johnson (upper body) are out.


PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)

STARS

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

4 Brenden Dillon - 3 Stephane Robidas
43 Jamie Oleksiak - 33 Alex Goligoski
58 Jordie Benn - 6 Trevor Daley

31 Richard Bachman
[41 Cristopher Nilstorp]


BLUE JACKETS

18 R.J. Umberger - 16 Derick Brassard - 13 Cam Atkinson
11 Matt Calvert - 19 Ryan Johansen - 71 Nick Foligno
22 Vaclav Prospal - 10 Mark Letestu - 15 Derek Dorsett
9 Colton Gillies - 24 Derek Mackenzie - 40 Jared Boll

51 Fedor Tyutin - 6 Nikita Nikitin
20 Tim Erixon - 33 Adrian Aucoin
4 John Moore - 48 Cody Galoubef

72 Sergei Bobrovsky
[1 Steve Mason]

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