STARS-KINGS GAME PREVIEW (11:45 P.M., 12/22/13)

In their final game before breaking for Christmas, the Dallas Stars (17-12-6) are in Tinsel Town to take on the Los Angeles Kings (25-8-4). Game time is 9:30 p.m. CST. The match will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

This is the second of three meetings between the teams this season. Back on Oct. 19, the Kings captured a 5-2 win.

The Stars are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose on Saturday night. Ray Whitney and Antoine Roussel staked Dallas to a 2-0 lead but the club saw the lead slip away despite a strong game in goal by Kari Lehtonen.

An already injury depleted Dallas blueline took another significant hit on Saturday, as veteran Sergei Gonchar had to leave the game with concussion-like symptoms. He is unavailable for this game. With Stephane Robidas (fractured right tibia), Trevor Daley (high ankle sprain) and depth defenseman Aaron Rome (lower body) already sidelined, Maxime Fortunas will be pressed into starting duty.

The Kings have won three in a row and nine of their last 10 heading into this game. The club is coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Denver on Saturday night. Jeff Carter and Justin Williams got LA off to a 2-0 lead before the Avalanche came back to force overtime. Anze Kopitar notched the winning goal in the extra frame.

Starting goaltender Jonathan Quick remains sidelined with a groin injury, but the Kings have not skipped a beat in his absence. The Kings are 14-2-3 since he got hurt. Goalie Martin Jones has posted an 8-0-0 record thus far, with a 0.96 GAA and .966 save percentage. That does not even include a 12-for-12 performance thus far in shootouts.

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