PREVIEW 8:35 AM CST
Coming off back-to-back impressive wins, the Dallas Stars (12-9-2) will take on familiar rival tonight when they head to the Arizona desert to take on the Phoenix Coyotes (11-10-3). The game starts at 7:00 p.m. CST and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the fourth meeting of the season between the Pacific Division clubs. The Stars won the first two games by scores of 4-3 (one in regulation, one via shootout) but the Coyotes blanked the Stars, 2-0, the last time the clubs faced off against each other.
Dallas enters this game coming off a rousing 5-2 road win in Los Angeles on Thursday. Jaromir Jagr tallied a pair of goals for the Stars, who also got single goals from Cody Eakin, Brenden Morrow and an empty netter from Antoine Roussel. Dallas has scored three or more goals in 13 of their last 14 games.
Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves against LA to run his season record to 9-3-1 and improve his goals against average (2.24) and save percentage (.930). Phoenix's Mike Smith enters the game coming off a 6-3 loss to St. Louis.
On the Dallas injury front, Morrow is questionable for tonight's game due to a groin pull. Aaron Rome (foot) and Ray Whitney (foot) remains out. Matt Fraser has been recalled from the AHL.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)
STARS (defensive pairings likely to be altered from last game)
10 Brenden Morrow? - 14 Jamie Benn - 68 Jaromir Jagr
72 Erik Cole- 11 Derek Roy - 21 Loui Eriksson
18 Reilly Smith- 20 Cody Eakin - 25 Matt Fraser
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
32 Kari Lehtonen
[31 Richard Bachman]
Coyotes (per Dailyfaceoff.com)
Mikkel Boedker - Martin Hanzal - Steve Sullivan
Lauri Korpikoski - Antoine Vermette - Shane Doan
Raffi Torres - Matthew Lombardi - David Moss
Boyd Gordon - Kyle Chipchura - Paul Bissonnette
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Zbynek Michalek
Keith Yandle - Derek Morris
Michael Stone - Rostislav Klesla
Mike Smith
[Jason LaBabarbera]
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