Stars at Oilers
The Dallas Stars visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday in a matchup of struggling teams with optimistic coaches. Edmonton (2-7-1 in its last 10 games) fell to 1-1-1 since veteran Ken Hitchcock took the reins from Todd McLellan with a 5-2 loss at Los Angeles on Sunday while Dallas and first-year coach Jim Montgomery squandered a lead in the final three minutes of a 3-2 setback at Colorado on Saturday for the team's third loss in four games.
"Our ceiling is very high as far as how much growth we can have by the end of the year," Montgomery told reporters. "If we compete like that, your growth is going to start climbing quite significantly and quickly." Hitchcock, who won the 1999 Stanley Cup with the Stars and is third all-time with 824 victories, also remains upbeat. "I'm really excited by the potential,'' Hitchcock said. "I know we can get better and I know that it's there." Dallas won the last two meetings, taking the 2017-18 season series 2-1, with captain Jamie Benn (four goals) and Alexander Radulov (three) combining for nearly half of the Stars' 15 markers.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE STARS (12-10-2): Radulov (20 points), who recorded his 100th career goal earlier this month, has five assists in his last three games and four scores and six assists in his past eight. Benn has scored in each of the last two games, giving him a team-high nine goals -- four on the power play -- and 19 points. Anton Khudobin (4-5-1, 3.07 goals-against average, .905 save percentage) owns a 1-3-0 mark with a 4.72 GAA and .863 SP since taking over for injured No. 1 goaltender Ben Bishop (lower body).
ABOUT THE OILERS (10-11-2): Connor McDavid, the two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, is riding a six-game point streak (three goals, including the 100th of his career, seven assists) and boasts club highs of 13 goals and 20 assists. Alex Chiasson scored both goals Sunday and has four of his 10 this season in the last five games, prompting Hitchcock to tell reporters: "He doesn't have great foot speed, but he's got great offensive instincts and where he's really good is down low. He gets himself into great spots. ..." Hitchcock also hinted that Chiasson could be elevated to the McDavid line after the tandem combined for a power-play goal Sunday.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas owned the league's No. 8 penalty-killing unit entering Monday at 81.9 percent, extinguishing 13-of-15 opportunities over the last six games, but its power play is 1-for-22 over the past seven contests.
2. Edmonton C Leon Draisaitl (13 goals, 26 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in the last two contests after recording three goals and six assists during a five-game point streak.
3. Stars C Tyler Seguin (team-high 23 points) has an assist in each of his last two games, and two goals and four assist in his past five.