Looking to get back on the winning track after losing their final game before the All-Star break and first one afterwards, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (21-19-7) remain on the road in Canada to take on Dave Cameron's Ottawa Senators (19-8-9). Game time is 6:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the second and final game between the inter-conference teams this season and the lone meeting in Ottawa. The game's primary intrigue is that it marks longtime Senators' standout Jason Spezza's first game in Ottawa since he was traded to the Stars last summer.
On Jan. 13, the Stars rode a four-goal outburst in the second period to erase a 3-1 deficit at the first intermission and claim a 5-4 regulation win over the Senators at the American Airlines Center.
With Dallas trailing 2-0 in the first period, former Sens forward Ales Hemsky got the Stars on the board. In the second period, Trevor Daley, John Klingberg (two goals) and Erik Cole scored unanswered goals, with Klingberg notching the second and fourth goals of the period for Dallas.
Ottawa drew back within a goal in the third period, courtesy of a Milan Michalek power play tally. The Stars then held on the rest of the way. Stars starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen was pulled at 10:30 of the first period after yielding two goals on five shots. Backup netminder Anders Lindbà¤ck went the rest of the way, stopping 34 of 36 shots.
The Stars enter this game coming off a 3-2 regulation loss in Montreal on Tuesday. Canadiens' goaltender Carey Price made 40 saves to backstop his team to a win on a night where Dallas owned much of the territorial advantage. On a Jamie Benn goal directly off a faceoff and a third-period Patrick Eaves goal got past Price. Lehtonen stopped 23 of 26 Montreal shots.
For Dallas, Cole (upper-body injury) and Brett Ritchie (undisclosed) are both officially game-day decisions. Both practiced on Wednesday, according to Stars Inside Edge. Valeri Nichushkin (hip surgery) and Patrik Nemeth (severe forearm laceration from a skate cut) remain on injured reserve.
Thursday's game is Ottawa's first since the All-Star break. The team last played eight nights ago, grabbing a 4-3 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki (leg injury) and forward Zack Smith (wrist) remain out of the lineup.