ABBREVIATED GAME PREVIEW: STARS @ CANUCKS
Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (19-5-1) are in British Columbia on Thursday to take on Willie Desjardins' Vancouver Canucks (9-9-8). Game time at Rogers Arena is 9:00 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams, and the lone game in Vancouver. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime when the clubs met in Dallas on Oct. 29 and then prevailed 3-2 via shootout in their rematch at the American Airlines Center on Nov. 27. Overall, the Stars have won each of their last nine games against the Canucks.
The Stars enter this game coming off a disappointing 4-3 road shootout loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. Dallas held a 3-0 lead at the start of the third period but then collapsed.
The team has activated Kari Lehtonen from the injured reserve list. Defenseman Jason Demers is questionable with a lower-body injury sustained in the Calgary game.
The Canucks bring a three-game winless streak into this match and are coming off a 2-1 overtime road loss to the LA Kings on Tuesday. Vancouver nursed a skinny 1-0 lead into the third period but went on to lose the game despite a 38-save performance by goaltender Jacob Markström.
On the injury front, forwards Jake Virtanen (hip), Chris Higgins (upper body) and Ben Hutton (lower body) as well as defenseman Chris Tanev (hand) are considered day to day. Forward Brandon Sutter (IR, sports hernia) surgery is out.