PREVIEW 4:15 AM CST
Coming off a largely disappointing four-game homestand, the Dallas Stars (13-12-3) head out for a short but difficult road trip that will see them play back-to-back games in two different time zones. Up first is a trip to the Mile High City to play the Colorado Avalanche (10-14-4). Tomorrow night, the Stars will be in Los Angeles to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings.
Tonight's game is the second of three meetings between the Stars and Avs, and the second and final one in Denver. The Avs and Stars will rematch in Dallas on Saturday to complete the season series.
On Feb. 4, Jamie Benn's first two goals of the 2013 season ultimately lifted the Stars to a 3-2 win after Dallas was unable to protect an early 2-0 lead. Brenden Morrow also scored for the Stars in that game, while Milan Hejduk and P.A. Parenteau tallied for Colorado. Kari Lehtonen was outstanding in that game, making 29 saves to backstop the Stars to victory.
Dallas enters this game coming off 1-2-1 homestand that saw the team struggle at both ends of the ice in lopsided losses to Nashville and Chicago. However, the Stars rode a two-goal game from Loui Eriksson to a 4-3 win over Calgary in the final game of the homestand.
Although the Avalanche are in the cellar of the Western Conference and have lost four in a row entering tonight, overall they have been a much better team on home ice (8-5-1) than they have on the road this season. The Blackhawks had little trouble dispatching the host Avs, 5-2, on Monday night.
Colorado has been outscored 20-9 during its four-game losing streak. Dallas' best opportunity may be to jump on the Avs early in tonight's game. The Avalanche have been especially prone to first-period woes (outscored by a 9-3 margin) during their current skid, and slow starts have plagued the team all year. The Avs have spent far too much time this season chasing the game, as they have given up the game's first goal in 19 of their 28 games played to date.
Conversely, it has been the second period that has generally given the Stars the most trouble this season. Dallas has been outscored 36-25 in second periods this season, and has had considerable issues with getting into mid-game penalty trouble. Thus, if Colorado can hold off Dallas early in the game, there is a decent chance the Stars could wind up at a later disadvantage.
Dallas made some roster moves before embarking on the road trip. Backup goaltender Richard Bachman was sent down to the AHL's Texas Stars and top goaltending prospect Jack Campbell was called up to back up starter Kari Lehtonen. The club also placed
checking line winger Ryan Garbutt (hand) on injured reserve. Defensemen Aaron Rome (foot) also remains out of the lineup.
On the Colorado injury front, defenseman Ryan Wilson (ankle) is doubtful, while right winger Steve Downie is out for the season with a knee) injury.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
STARS
72 Erik Cole - 14 Jamie Benn - 13 Ray Whitney
21 Loui Eriksson -11 Derek Roy - 68 Jaromir Jagr
10 Brenden Morrow - 20 Cody Eakin - 18 Reilly Smith
24 Eric Nystrom - 38 Vernon Fiddler - 60 Antoine Roussel
4 Brenden Dillon - 3 Stephane Robidas
33 Alex Goligoski - 6 Trevor Daley
58 Jordie Benn - 43 Jamie Oleksiak
32 Kari Lehtonen
[1 Jack Campbell]
AVALANCHE (per Dailyfaceoff.com)
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 17 Aaron Palushaj
11 Jamie McGinn - 9 Matt Duchene - 15 P.A. Parenteau
7 John Mitchell - 26 Paul Stastny - 23 Milan Hejduk
55 Cody McLeod - 12 Chuck Kobasew - 54 David Jones
4 Greg Zanon - 6 Erik Johnson
3 Ryan O'Byrne - 22 Matt Hunwick
5 Shane O'Brien - 8 Jan Hejda
1 Semyon Varlamov
[35 Jean-Sabastien Giguere]
*******
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