ABBREVIATED GAME PREVIEW: STARS VS. LIGHTNING

Looking for their second straight win to start the stretch drive and to extend their point streak to seven games, the Dallas Stars (28-21-10) will play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning (33-21-5). Game time at the American Airlines Center is 2 p.m. Central. The game will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

This is the first of two games between the inter-Conference teams, and the lone meeting in Dallas. They will rematch in Tampa on April 15.

The Stars are coming off a solid 4-1 home win over Carolina on Thursday. Early goals by Tyler Seguin and Brenden Dillon (shorthanded) on the Stars' first two shots of the game staked Dallas to a 2-0 lead. Jamie Benn added a spectacular shorthanded goal late in the second period. After Eric Staal broke up Kari Lehtonen's shutout bid early in the third period, Cody Eakin sealed the win with a late empty net goal.

On the Dallas injury front, Stephane Robidas remains sidelined with a fractured tibia.

After playing well for most of the season, Tampa Bay staggered into the Olympic break and got the stretch drive off on the wrong foot. On Thursday, the Bolts got off to a 2-0 lead against the Nashville Predators only to lose, 3-2. Martin St. Louis scored both Tampa goals.

On the Tampa Bay injury front, Valterri Filppula (ankle) and superstar center Steven Stamkos (broken leg) are getting closer to being ready to return to the lineup. Filppula is just about ready to return, but had a setback that kept him out of Thursday's game. Stamkos may be able to play by March 6. Goaltender Anders Lindbäck is on an AHL rehab conditioning stint.

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