STARS-DEVILS GAME PREVIEW (6:45 AM CST)
Looking to stop the bleeding of a three-game losing streak that has seen the club give up 18 goals, the Dallas Stars (20-15-7) are in Newark tonight to take on the New Jersey Devils (17-18-9). Game time is 6:00 p.m. CST. The match will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The clubs will rematch at the American Airlines Center on Thursday, January 30.
The Stars enter this game coming off a 7-3 pasting at the hands of the New York Islanders on Monday. Dallas actually managed to take a 2-0 lead to the first intermission, despite some shaky defensive play. Thereafter, Kari Lehtonen was not able to rescue the team.
For the Stars to get back on track, it is imperative for the team to tighten up its puck management, gap control and one-on-one coverages. Team discipline and patience in the offensive zone are also musts whenever a team plays New Jersey.
Dallas coach Lindy Ruff shuffled personnel at the team's practice on Wednesday. Rich Peverley skated on the right wing of Tyler Seguin's line with team captain Jamie Benn. Rookie Valeri Nichushkin and red-hot veteran Erik Cole were centered by Cody Eakin. Vernon Fiddler was flanked by Ray Whitney and Alex Chiasson. On the fourth line, Antoine Roussel and Ryan Garbutt took rushes with center Shawn Horcoff.
The Devils are an offensively challenged team that has really struggled for wins when forced to play from behind. New Jersey ranks 29th of the NHL's 30 teams when yielding the first goal of the game.
However, in their last game, the host Devils took a 1-0 lead on Philadelphia in the opening minute of the first period, only to yield a pair of goals in the first half of the third period. Trailing 2-1, the Devils scored in the final minute of the third period to force overtime. The Flyers went on to prevail in the extra frame.
Former Stars right winger Jaromir Jagr leads the Devils in scoring with 35 points. Fellow Czech veteran Patrik Elias (25 points) is sidelined with various maladies. Swiss sniper Damien Brunner is out with a knee injury.
On the Dallas side, defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Trevor Daley returned to the lineup against the Islanders. Stephane Robidas is out for the season with a fractured right tibia.
PROJECTED LINES (subject to change)
STARS
14 Jamie Benn - 91 Tyler Seguin - 17 Rich Peverley 72 Erik Cole - 20 Cody Eakin - 43 Valeri Nichushkin 13 Ray Whitney - 38 Vern Fiddler - 12 Alex Chiasson 21 Antoine Roussel - 10 Shawn Horcoff - 16 Ryan Garbutt
4 Brenden Dillon - 33 Alex Goligoski 55 Sergei Gonchar - 23 Kevin Connauton 24 Jordie Benn - 6 Trevor Daley
32 Kari Lehtonen [30 Dan Ellis]
DEVILS
8 Dainius Zubrus - 19 Travis Zajac - 68 Jaromir Jagr 29 Ryane Clowe - 14 Adam Henrique - 17 Michael Ryder 20 Ryan Carter - 11 Stephen Gionta - 18 Steve Bernier 15 Reid Boucher - 21 Andrei Loktionov - 9 Mike Sislo
6 Andy Greene - 7 Mark Fayne 24, Bryce Salvador - 34 Jon Merrill 2 Marek Zidlicky - 28 Anton Volchenkov
35 Cory Schneider [30 Martin Brodeur]
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