STARS-OILERS ABBREVIATED GAME PREVIEW (2:30 PM CST)
Looking to halt a six-game losing streak and win for the first time this month, the Dallas Stars (20-17-7) play host tonight to the Edmonton Oilers (15-28-5). Game time is 7:30 p.m. CST. The match will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the third and final meeting of season series between the teams. On Nov. 13 in Edmonton, the Stars skated off with a 3-0 shutout win. On Dec. 1 in Dallas, the Oilers won 3-2 via shootout.
The Stars are coming off one of their most disheartening losses of the season. On Sunday, Dallas held a 2-0 lead over the New York Islanders at the first intermission and took a 2-1 lead into the final five minutes of the game. The walls caved in as the Islanders struck for three unanswered goals late in regulation to send the Stars down to a 4-2 loss. The loss was the second against the Islanders within a week after holding an early 2-0 edge.
Edmonton also comes into this game off a loss. On Sunday, the Oilers dropped a 5-3 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. At one point, the Oilers briefly came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the second period (the Blackhawks scored an own goal during a delayed penalty on Edmonton).Just seconds later, however, Chicago scored on the resulting 5-on-3 power play to re-take the lead. The Hawks led the rest of the way.
On the Edmonton injury front, former Stars defenseman Philip Larsen (flu) is unavailable, as is fellow blueliner Corey Potter (groin pull). On the Dallas side, defenseman Stephane Robidas is out for the season with a fractured right tibia. Depth defenseman Aaron Rome (lower body) is questionable for tonight.
The Stars' current 0-6-0 skid is the longest regulation losing streak the franchise has had since midway through the 1995-96 season. Kari Lehtonen will start in goal against Ilya Bryzgalov.
Per Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site, here are tonight's projected lines (subject to change):
STARS
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin –Erik Cole Antoine Roussel – Cody Eakin – Ryan Garbutt Ray Whitney – Vernon Fiddler – Alex Chiasson Shawn Horcoff – Rich Peverley – Valeri Nichushkin
Alex Goligoski – Trevor Daley Brenden Dillon – Jordie Benn Kevin Connauton – Sergei Gonchar
Kari Lehtonen [Dan Ellis]
OILERS
Taylor Hall – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Sam Gagner Nail Yakupov – Mark Arcobello – Jordan Eberle David Perron – Boyd Gordon – Ales Hemsky Luke Gazdic – Ryan Smyth – Ryan Jones
Andrew Ference – Justin Schultz Nick Schultz – Anton Belov Jeff Petry – Martin Marincin
Ilya Bryzgalov [Devan Dubnyk]
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