GAME PREVIEW (9:30 AM CDT)

The Dallas Stars bring a lot of positivity and a 4-0-2 preseason mark into tonight's exhibition schedule finale in Oklahoma City against the Edmonton Oilers. Tonight, the main objective is get through the game injury-free and get some work in for players bound for the AHL's Texas Stars or on the fringes of the NHL roster.

Playing against the Colorado Avalanche last night in Dallas, Stars coach Lindy Ruff dressed a lineup that figures to closely resemble the squad that will take the ice at the American Airlines Center next Wednesday night in the regular season opener against the Florida Panthers. The number one object was to play a little better team defense than the club had for significant portions of the preseason (despite the club's favorable won-loss record).

That mission was accomplished, although it should also be noted that Colorado rested many of its top offensive players, including Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and Paul Stastny. As a bonus, the Stars' offense strafed Semyon Varlamov and company in what turned out to be a 5-1 blowout win. Alex Chiasson notched a pair of goals for Dallas, while defenseman Alex Goligoski (three-point night), Erik Cole and 18-year-old rookie Valeri Nichushkin also tallied for the Stars.

When there was a scoring opportunity for Colorado, Kari Lehtonen had the answers. Although he went long stretches without seeing any shots of significance, the veteran netminder looked razor-sharp and ready to start the season in making 25 saves on 26 shots. Colorado's lone goal came on a mid third-period power play goal by Jamie McGinn.

Chiasson got the Stars off on a strong not with a goal in the opening minute of play. Dallas went on to double their lead on Cole's mid-second period tally and then turned the match into a blowout with two more unanswered goals (Goligoski and another by Chiasson) early in the third period. McGinn trimmed the Colorado deficit to 4-1 before Nichushkin restored the four-goal margin.

Late in the first period, Stars checking forward Ryan Garbutt was tossed from the game as a result of an open-ice hit away from the puck on Colorado's Tyson Barrie. Avalanche forward Guillaume Desbiens came to his teammate's defense, dropping the gloves with Garbutt. Desbiens got tagged with an instigator penalty from the fight but Garbutt got an interference major from the hit on Barrie.

Last night's starting lineup last night for the Stars looked like this:

Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Erik Cole
Ray Whitney - Cody Eakin - Alex Chiasson
Antoine Roussel - Shawn Horcoff - Valeri Nichushkin
Lane MacDermid - Vernon Fiddler - Ryan Garbutt

Brenden Dillon - Stephane Robidas
Alex Goligoski - Sergei Gonchar
Jordie Benn - Jamie Oleksiak

Kari Lehtonen
[Dan Ellis]


Tonight, Ruff is likely to use a much less potent lineup as the club plays Edmonton at the Cox Convention Center; the home rink of the Oilers' AHL farm team, the Oklahoma City Barons. Meanwhile, tonight in Cedar Park, the Texas Stars take on the Barons in an AHL preseason tilt.


********

KINDLE USERS: Please subscribe to Stars Buzz; a one-stop feed for all things Dallas Stars-related at HockeyBuzz. Content is automatically updated whenever a new blog is published. For more information, click here.

Join the Discussion: » 4 Comments » Post New Comment

» NHL Statement on Stars' COVID Situation

» SCF: Tampa wins Stanley Cup with 2-0 Shutout

» SCF: Stars Extend Series to a Game 6 w/ Double OT win

» SCF: Stars Have No Time to Lament What Could Have Been

» SCF: Uphill Climb Falls Short Again in Game 3