Trying to remain the only NHL team to avoid back-to-back losses this season, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (27-8-3) will play host to Peter Laviolette's Nashville Predators (18-12-7) on New Year's Eve. Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of five meetings between the teams this season. Last season, the Predators won three of five games.
The Stars fell victim to a classic "trap" game following a spirited home-and-hone set with the St. Louis Blues last weekend -- and perhaps some fatigue from playing for the third time in four nights -- in a 6-3 loss to the NHL cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The Predators are coming off a 4-3 road overtime loss in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Antti Niemi is expected to get the start in goal for Dallas. Finnish countryman Pekka Rinne will get the nod for the Predators.
On the Stars' injury front, Ales Hemsky was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with a foot injury sustained while blocking a shot off his foot in the loss to Columbus. For Nashville, Gabriel Bourque (upper-body) remains on injured reserve.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (Per Stars Inside Edge post-morning skate report)
STARS
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Sharp Mattias Janmark – Jason Spezza – Valeri Nichushkin Antoine Roussel – Cody Eakin – Colton Sceviour Travis Moen – Vernon Fiddler – Patrick Eaves
Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg Johnny Oduya – Jason Demers Jyrki Jokipakka – Jordie Benn
Antti Niemi [Kari Lehtonen]
PREDATORS
Filip Forsberg – Mike Ribeiro – Craig Smith Colin Wilson – Mike Fisher – Viktor Arvidsson Miikka Salomà¤ki – Calle Jarnkrok – James Neal Eric Nystrom – Paul Gaustad – Austin Watson
Roman Josi – Shea Weber Barret Jackman – Seth Jones Mattias Ekholm – Ryan Ellis
Pekka Rinne [Carter Hutton]
Scratched: Anthony Bitetto, Petter Granberg, Cody Hodgson
Injured: Gabriel Bourque (undisclosed)