STARS VS. BRUINS ABBREVIATED GAME PREVIEW
Having brought a six-game losing streak to an end with their first win in January, the Dallas Stars (21-18-7) will look to make it back-to-back victories tonight when they play host to the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins (29-15-2). Game time at the American Airlines Center is 7:30 p.m. CST. The match will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the second and final meeting between the teams this season. On Nov. 5, the Stars pulled out an upset 3-2 win in Boston via shootout after Vernon Fiddler tied the game late in the third period on a successful penalty shot. Jamie Benn scored the game's first goal, while Torey Krug and Milan Lucic (third period go-ahead goal) tallied for Boston. Victorious goaltender Kari Lehtonen stopped 34 of 36 shots in regulation and overtime. His countryman and Boston netminding opponent Tuukka Rask had identical stats for the night before former Bruins forward Rich Peverley won the game in the shootout.
The Stars enter this game coming off a 5-2 home win over Edmonton on Tuesday. Erik Cole, Ryan Garbutt, Jamie Benn (power play), Cody Eakin and Trevor Daley (empty netter) scored for Dallas.
Boston has struggled a bit of late coming into tonight's game. The club has dropped three of its last four, including a 4-3 home loss to Toronto on Tuesday. Uncharacteristically, Boston has had some defensive issues in recent games. Over the last eight games, the Bruins have allowed four or more goals in six of the matches. Much of this is due to a scuffling penalty kill that has yielded 10 opposition power play goals in the last seven games, including six goals in the last four tilts.
On the Dallas injury front, Ray Whitney is expected to play tonight after missing yesterday's practice with a non-disclosed ailment. Defensemen Stephane Robidas (fractured tibia) and Aaron Rome (lower body) remain out of the lineup. For Boston, starting defensemen Dougie Hamilton (concussion) and Dennis Seidenberg (torn knee ligaments) and center Chris Kelly (leg) all remain unavailable.