Looking to snap an 0-2-2 spell and get back on the winning track, the Dallas Stars (4-3-4) will play host to the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings (6-4-2) tonight at the American Airlines Center. Game time is 7:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season, all of which will take place this month. The Stars and Kings will rematch in Los Angeles on Nov. 13 with the rubber match taking place in Dallas on Nov. 22.
The Stars are coming off an ugly 4-1 loss in Minnesota on Saturday. Tonight's game starts a three-game homestand for Dallas, who are 1-0-4 to date at the American Airlines Center.
The club has yet to find the "happy medium" this season that coach Lindy Ruff described between playing too carelessly defensively and not generating enough offense. Over their last two games, the Stars have scored just two goals and managed a combined 42 shots on goal. Prior to that, Dallas was scoring at a prolific pace but hemorrhaging opposition goals.
On the injury front, Valeri Nichushkin has completed his two-game conditioning assignment with the AHL's Texas Stars and practiced with the big club yesterday. However, Ruff told the media afterwards that the player is not quite where he needs to be yet in his conditioning.
Veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar is getting close to being ready to join the lineup. He has missed the entire regular season to date with an ankle injury. Dallas has re-assigned rookie defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka to the Texas Stars.
Top line center Tyler Seguin missed yesterday's practice after having his wisdom teeth extracted but is expected to play tonight. Both Seguin and linemate Jamie Benn have been held off the scoresheet in the last two games.
Ales Hemsky is also likely to be in the lineup tonight despite leaving Saturday's game with an upper-body injury. Hemsky practiced yesterday.
The Kings have been in a bit of a recent funk themselves, after racking up an six-game winning streak on home ice in October. Since then, the club has dropped four in a row (0-3-1), including the last three in regulation.
As was the case last year during the regular season -- but not in the playoffs -- goal scoring has been an issue for the Kings. Outside of Jeff Carter's line, the club has had problems putting the puck in the net. The issue may lessen now that Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik are back in the lineup.
On the injury front, defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk is out with a knee injury. Forward Jordan Nolan and defenseman Slava Voynov are currently suspended by the NHL.