Aiming for their seventh win in eight games, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (35-28-10) begin a three-game western Canada road trip with a game against Bob Hartley's Calgary Flames (40-27-6). Game time at the Saddledome is 9:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the second of three meetings this season between the teams, and the second of two in Calgary. The Stars captured a 2-1 road win in Calgary on Dec. 19. The season series wraps up in Dallas on March 30.
The Stars enter this game coming off a 4-3 home win over the Buffalo Sabres. A pair of goals by Jamie Benn led the way, while Patrick Eaves and Cody Eakin notched one apiece. Dallas scored three goals in the final period to claim the narrow win. Kari Lehtonen stopped 25 of 28 shots while former Stars goalie Anders Lindbà¤ck made 35 saves in a losing cause for Buffalo.
Team captain Benn suffered an undisclosed injury in the Buffalo game and took a maintenance day on Tuesday. He is officially questionable for the game in Calgary.
In the meantime, defenseman Trevor Daley (lower body) and forward Valeri Nichushkin (hip surgery) remain on injured reserve. Daley may be able to rejoim the lineup later in the trip.
Although Dallas has been playing some of its best hockey of the season lately, they remain buried in the Western Conference playoff race. Meanwhile, the Flames have plenty to play for as they attempt to secure at least third place in the Pacific Division and the automatic playoff spot that comes with it.
The Flames enter this game coming off a 3-2 regulation road win over the Colorado Avalanche. Calgary hung on to a one-goal lead late in the game.
On the Calgary injury front, top defensemen Mark Giordano (torn biceps), defenseman Ladislav Smid (upper body), and forward Paul Byron (lower body) remain out of the lineup.