Two teams looking to pull themselves out of losing skids will face at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night as Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (21-23-10) are on the road to take on Guy Boucher's Ottawa Senators (27-18-6). Game time is 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest Plus.
Winless their last three games, the Stars enter this game coming off a 3-1 loss to Ottawa Senators that dropped Ruff's team two games below .500 on the season. The Stars are seven points out in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Ottawa has been shut out in two straight games, including a 6-0 shellacking at the hands of the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Kari Lehtonen is expected to get the start in goal for the Stars, opposing Ottawa's Mike Condon. Ottawa will start seven defensemen. Per Star's Inside Edge, the expected starting lineups for the respective teams are:
STARS
Jamie Benn - Cody Eakin - Patrick Eaves Jiri Hudler - Tyler Seguin - Brett Ritchie Devin Shore - Radek Faksa - Patrick Sharp Antoine Roussel - Adam Cracknell - Curtis McKenzie
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg Dan Hamhuis - Jordie Benn Patrik Nemeth - Stephen Johns
Kari Lehtonen [Antti Niemi]
Scratches: Julius Honka (healthy), Curtis McKenzie (healthy), Jamie Oleksiak (hand), Jason Spezza (upper body), Johnny Oduya (ankle), Ales Hemsky (IR, hip), Mattias Janmark (IR, knee).
Senators
Zack Smith - Derick Brassard - Mark Stone Ryan Dzingel - Kyle Turris - Bobby Ryan Mike Hoffman - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Tom Pyatt Tommy Wingels - Chris Kelly -- [mix-and-match]
Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson Dion Phaneuf - Cody Ceci Mark Borowiecki - Chris Wideman/Fredrik Claesson
Mike Condon [Andrew Hammond]
Scratches: Chris Neil (healthy), Curtis Lazar (healthy), Craig Anderson (family-related leave), Clarke MacArthur (concussion).