Losers of back-to-back and three of four games for the first time this season, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (28-9-4) will look to get back on the winning track on Tuesday as they start the statistical second half of the season and wrap up a three-game tour of the New York metropolitan area in Manhattan against Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers (21-14-4). Game time is 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of two meetings between the inter-conference teams this season. Last year, the Stars swept the season series.
Dallas has been a very busy team of late. This match will be the team's seventh in 11 days and its third in four nights. On Saturday, the Stars dropped a 3-2 overtime decision in Newark against the New Jersey Devils. The following night in Brooklyn, Dallas lost its status as the lone NHL team to avoid back-to-back defeats this season as they came out on the wrong end of a 6-5 regulation final aganst the New York Islanders. Valeri Nichushkin tallied twice on a losing cause. Kari Lehtonen took the loss as he stopped 38 of 44 shots in the wide open game.
Jamie Benn did not join the point parade against the Islanders. However, the Stars captain still leads the NHL with 24 goals and the defending Art Ross Trophy winner ranks second in points with 52. Tyler Seguin (23 goals, 50 points) was also held off the scoresheet in the Islanders' game. In the meantime, Patrick Sharp brings a nine-game point streak (six goals, six assists) into this game.
On the Stars' injury front, Ales Hemsky (foot) remains on injured reserve.
The Rangers, who have been in down cycle since late November, have won just three of their last 10 games (3-6-1) and five of their last seven. The Blueshirts got blanked, 3-0, by the Florida Panthers on Saturday, despite a 40-20 shot advantage. The legendary Jaromir Jagr, a former Ranger, scored two goals.
On the New York injury front, forward Chris Kreider had to leave Saturday's game with a laceration on his hand. Kreider not practice on Monday and is considered doubtful for the game against the Stars.