Looking to snap a four-game winless skid, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (18-16-7) play host to Dave Cameron's Ottawa Senators (17-16-8) on Tuesday night. Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CST.
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The teams will rematch on Jan. 29 in Ottawa.
Tuesday's game marks the first time former Senators star Jason Spezza will play his ex-team since the off-season trade that brought Spezza to Dallas and sent Alex Chiasson the other way. To date, Spezza has 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) on the season.
The Stars may need a big night from Spezza. NHL leading goal-scorer Tyler Seguin (illness) and Dallas captain Jamie Benn (undislosed injury) are both questionable for the game, according to Stars Inside Edge. Seguin and Benn missed practice on Monday, along with checking forward Vernon Fiddler (lower-body injury).
Dallas enters this game with an 0-2-2 record over the last four games. However, over the span of the club's last 12 home games, the team enjoys a record of 8-3-1.
The Stars enter this game coming off a frustrating 4-3 road loss to Colorado on Saturday. Dallas held a 2-0 lead at the first intermission on goals by Brett Ritchie and Colton Sceviour only to see Colorado score each of the next four goals (three in the second period and another in the opening moments of the third period). A goal by ex-Senator Ales Hemsky cut the gap to one goal but it was too little and too late to rescue any points from the game. Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 of 30 shots in a losing cause.
Over the course putting together a run of eight wins in nine games from late December into early January, the Stars played markedly better team defense and got very strong team defense. During the current four-game winless stretch, Dallas has yielded 16 goals. The team ranks 27th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.27).
Elsewhere on the Stars' injury front, Patrik Eaves (ankle), Valeri Nichushkin (hip surgery) and Patrik Nemeth (severe forearm laceration from a skate cut) remain on injured reserve.
Ottawa enters this game coming off a 5-1 road blowout win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, halting a three-game winless skid. The Sens trailed early in the game but then came back for five unanswered tallies. Milan Michalek, Clark MacArthur, Mike Hoffman, Cody Ceci and David Legwand did the scoring honors.
Craig Anderson stopped 31 of 32 shots to earn the win against Arizona. Robin Lehner is expected to get the start in goal against the Stars.
On the Senators' injury front, Mark Borowiecki (leg), Chris Neil (knee) and Zack Smith (wrist) are all on injured reserve.