UPDATE 5:45 PM CT
Ducks center Ryan Getlaf is not with the team. He will miss approximately 12 days after underdoing an appendectomy.
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PREVIEW: STARS VS. DUCKS
Looking to get back on the winning track after stumbling in their first game back from a four-game road swing, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (6-2-0) will host Bruce Boudreau's Anaheim Ducks (1-5-2) on Tuesday. Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CT.
This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season but the Ducks' lone visit to Dallas. The clubs will rematch on Jan. 15 and April 3 in Anaheim. Last year, the Stars went 1-1-1 in three gamses against the Ducks.
After this game, the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Ducks, who are played the second half of back-to-back games and the middle match of a three-in-four set, have a road game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Stars Outlook
The first game back at home after a subtantial road trip is often a pitfall for teams, and the Stars' return game was no exception as they saw their five-game winning streak snapped in an ugly 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Stars captain Jamie Benn picked up his seventh and eighth goals of the young season in Saturday's tilt, while linemate Tyler Seguin earned his seventh and eighth assists. That was about the extent of the highlights for Dallas, which played a sloppy game with and without the puck.
Starting netminder Kari Lehtonen took the loss, getting pulled at 1:22 of the second period after the Panthers scored their third goal on 11 shots. Antti Niemi went the rest of the way, making 16 saves on 19 shots. Niemi is the probable starting goaltender against Anaheim.
A healthy scratch against the Panthers, defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka is expected to be back in the lineup against Anaheim. In the meantime, defenseman Jason Demers will serve the second and final game of his NHL suspension for elbowing Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Nick Bonino.
On the injury front, Ales Hemsky (hip) did not practice on Monday but is considered probable for this game. Travis Moen (upper body), Curtis McKenzie (lower body) and Patrick Eaves (lower body) all remain on injured reserve.
Ducks Outlook
A Western Conference playoff finalist last year, the Ducks' offensive attack has gone AWOL in the early going of the 2015-16 season. The team has scored just six goals over the eight games played to date, and are 1-for-22 on the power play. The Ducks' horrendous start has led to speculation that Bruce Boudreau's head coaching tenure may be in serious jeopardy.
The club is coming off a 1-0 overtime loss in Chicago on Monday night; already the fifth time the Ducks have been shut out this season. Frederik Andersen stopped 23 of 24 shots.
Tuesday's game in Dallas is the Ducks' fourth tilt of a five-game road trip. Thus far, the team is winless (0-2-1) on the trip. No player on the team has more than two points yet, and neither Ryan Getzlaf (one assist) nor Corey Perry (one assist) has scored goal to date.
On the Anaheim injury front, defensemen Simon Despres (upper body) and Josh Manson (upper body) are both out of the lineup.
Projected lineups (Subject to change)
STARS
14 Jamie Benn - 91 Tyler Seguin - 10 Patrick Sharp 13 Mattias Janmark - 90 Jason Spezza - 43 Valeri Nichushkin 21 Antoine Roussel - 20 Cody Eakin - 22 Colton Sceviour 38 Vernon Fiddler - 12 Radek Faksa - 83 Ales Hemsky
33 Alex Goligoski - 3 John Klingberg 47 Johnny Oduya - 24 Jordie Benn 15 Patrik Nemeth - 2 Jyrki Jokipakka
31 Antti Niemi [32 Kari Lehtonen]
Scratches: Travis Moen (day-to-day, upper body), Jamie Oleksiak (healthy), Patrick Eaves (IR, lower body), Curtis McKenzie (IR, lower body), Brett Ritchie (IR, wrist surgery), Jason Demers (NHL suspension).
DUCKS
26 Carl Hagelin - 15 Ryan Getzlaf - 10 Corey Perry 46 Jiri Sekac - 17 Ryan Kesler - 33 Jakob Silfverberg 7 Andrew Cogliano - 67 Rickard Rakell - 25 Mike Santorelli 19 Patrick Maroon - 22 Shawn Horcoff - 62 Chris Wagner
47 Hampus Lindholm - 2 Kevin Bieksa 4 Cam Fowler - 5 Korbinian Holzer 3 Clayton Stoner - 45 Sami Vatanen
30 Anton Khudobin / 31 Frederik Andersen
Scratches: Simon Despres (upper body), Josh Manson (upper body), Chris Stewart (healthy), Tim Jackman (healthy).