Looking to bounce back quickly from a setback on Thursday night, Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (44-22-9) are in California to take on Peter DeBoer's San Jose Sharks (41-27-6) in a Saturday matinee. Game time is 3:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams, and the second in San Jose. On Halloween in Dallas, the Stars earned a 5-3 victory. On Jan. 16 in San Jose, the Sharks won in overtime, 4-3.
Dallas had a three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday, in a 3-1 road loss to the Arizona Coyotes. Martin Hanzal scored twice -- including a back-breaking shorthanded goal in the third period -- the Stars had problems solving Louis Domingue (37 saves on 38 shots). Ales Hemsky scored the lone Dallas goal. The Stars hurt their own cause with penalties, putting the Coyotes on a half-dozen power plays.
Overall, the Stars have points in eight of their last 10 games (6-2-2).
Entering this game, the Stars are in a dead heat with the St. Louis Blues for the top spot in the Central Division and Western Conference. Both teams hold 44-22-9 records. However, the Stars own a 42-39 regulation/overtime win tiebreaker advantage, so the Blues will likely have to outpoint the Stars the rest of the season to get the top spot.
On the injury front, defenseman Kris Russell is questionable with a lower-body injury. Both Tyler Seguin (Achilles tendon cut) and D Jason Demers (shoulder injury) remain unavailable.
The Sharks have recently hit a late-season bump in the road, dropping back-to-back games in regulation. The club has won six of its last 10 (6-4-0). This game is the fifth match of a six-game homestand for the Sharks.
San Jose is unlikely to catch the LA Kings for first place in the Pacific Division. They are playing for first-round home ice, but are currently two points behind the Anaheim Ducks with Anaheim holding one game in hand and the Sharks with a 37-36 ROW tiebreaker edge. The Sharks still need one more win to clinch a playoff spot.
San Jose enters this game coming off a 6-3 home loss on Thursday to the Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks had a quick start, getting off to 2-0 lead in the first period but the wheels fell of thereafter.
On the injury front, forward Joonas Donskoi (lower body injury) is questionable to play against the Stars. He exited Thursday's game in the second period and did not return.Veteran defensman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower body), and forwards Matt Nieto (hand) and Matt Tennyson (head) are unavailable for the Sharks.