In the first half of back-to-back game nights, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (25-21-8) will look to build a three-game winning streak when they play host to Gerard Gallant's Florida Panthers (24-18-11) on Friday night. Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the inter-conference teams. Last season, the Stars got swept in the season series with a pair of regulation losses. The Panthers are a much improved team from last year's version.
The Stars enter this game coming off a 5-3 road win in Boston on Tuesday. A three-goal outburst in the first period and pair of shorthanded tallies (Vernon Fiddler in the first period and Trevor Daley's game-winner in the middle frame) were the difference-makers in the game. Stars captain Jamie Benn tallied a pair of goals in the game, and Erik Cole added a late empty-netter to seal the win. Kari Lehtonen earned the win with 41 saves.
On Wednesday, the Stars made a prospective upgrade in goal as they traded struggling and seldom-used backup Anders Lindbà¤ck and a conditional 2015 draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Jhonas Enroth. The newcomer and Lehtonen will share the weekend goaltending chores.
Leading Dallas scorer Tyler Seguin has been battling the flu for several days. He is expected to be in the lineup against the Panthers. Meanwhile, agitating forward Antoine Roussel will serve the first game of a two-game suspension by the NHL for a cross-checking incident in the Boston game.
Second year forward Valeri Nichushkin (hip surgery) and rookie defenseman Patrik Nemeth (severe forearm laceration from a skate cut) remain on injured reserve for the Stars. However, both are now back out on the ice, and Nemeth has been cleared for full practice before going on an AHL rehab assignment.
The Panthers, who thrive on winning low-scoring games, came out on the losing end of a 2-1 decision in Minnesota on Thursday night. The regulation loss ended a four-game point streak for Florida.
Panthers Dmitri Kulikov is questionable for Friday's game after sustaining a late-game injury against the Wild. Forward Brandon Pirri (upper body) and defenseman Willie Mitchell (upper body) are out of the lineup for the Cats.