ABBREVIATED GAME PREVIEW: STARS VS. BLUE JACKETS
One night after holding serve in the Western Conference wildcard chase with a 3-2 home win over Buffalo, the Dallas Stars (29-22-10) are in Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-25-5). Game time is 6:00 p.m. Central. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Now in different conferences, the Stars and Blue Jackets battled each other and the Red Wings late last season for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Detroit made it.
This season, Dallas and Columbus once again find themselves on the playoff bubble. Currently, the Stars hold the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Blue Jackets are one point behind Detroit for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but Detroit holds one game in hand.
Last night, the Stars exercised a lot of patience to nip Buffalo by a 3-2 score in a game where Dallas outshot Buffalo by a 39-23 margin. Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth (36 saves) was spectacular in net for Buffalo, while victorious goaltender Kari Lehtonen (21 saves) did not have one of his better nights despite the Dallas win.
The Sabres took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission on a Tyler Ennis goal late in the opening period. Early in the second period, Jordie Benn weaved a point shot through brother Jamie's screen (and missed deflection attempt) directly in front of Enroth. Alex Goligoski's third goal of the season, scored with six seconds left in the second period, gave Dallas their first lead of the game.
Buffalo did not go down meekly. Ennis' second goal of the game tied the score at 2-2 early in the third period. Midway through the final stanza, Alex Chiasson broke out of his epic goal-scoring drought -- and ended a run of power play futility for the Stars -- when he put Dallas ahead to stay.
Columbus is also coming off an important win last night. Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves) was outstanding in goal as the Blue Jackets captured a 2-1 road win in Toronto. Second period goals by Dalton Prout and Artem Anisimov proved just enough to win.
On the injury front, Stephane Robidas (fractured leg) remains out for Dallas. For Columbus, Ryan Murray (lower body) is questionable after leaving last night's game in the first period. Right winger Jared Boll (ankle), winger Jack Skille (upper body) and defenseman Fedor Tyutin (ankle) are out.