Stars at Panthers
The Florida Panthers conclude a nine-game homestand that will not be as successful as they hoped when they entertain the Dallas Stars on Friday. Florida is 4-4-0 after exploding for a 6-1 victory over Ottawa on Monday as it tries to remain playoff relevant in the crowded Atlantic Division, with Noel Acciari and Jonathan Huberdeau recording memorable performances.
Acciari recorded his first hat trick and Huberdeau recorded a career-high four assists in his 500th game to reach 400 points. "We don't need to get carried away,'' Panthers coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. "It's one win, it's one game. It definitely killed that trend we're in and was a better effort. That was a priority coming in." Dallas' Joe Pavelski on Friday is scheduled to play his 1,000th game after the Stars improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven contests by erasing a two-goal deficit and winning at Tampa Bay 4-3 on Thursday. Stars center Tyler Seguin has scored in two straight games and leads the club with 28 points after deciding Thursday's contest three minutes into overtime.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Florida
ABOUT THE STARS (20-12-4): Alexander Radulov, like Seguin, had a goal and an assist Thursday and has 24 points after recording two goals and seven assists during a six-game point streak. Roope Hintz boasts a team-high 12 goals but has scored only once in nine December contests. Ben Bishop (12-7-3, 2.07 goals-against average, .933 save percentage) tries to halt a two-game losing streak Friday after Anton Khudobin stopped a season-high 45 shots versus Tampa Bay.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (16-12-5): Sergei Bobrovsky boasts a .953 save percentage in six December games (3-3-0) after the 2017 Vezina Trophy winner started the season slow, and is 12-1-1 with a 1.63 goals-against average and .947 SP versus the Stars. Huberdeau paces the club with 41 points - four more than captain Aleksander Barkov - while each have scored 11 goals after the latter tallied Monday. Vincent Trocheck, who skates on a line with Huberdeau and Acciari, was a plus-4 on Monday but didn't record a point and has one in seven December games.
OVERTIME
1. Florida had the eighth-best power play in the league entering Thursday after going 1-for-14 in its last four games while Dallas was 1-for-1 with the man advantage versus Tampa Bay after going 0-for-12 in its previous four contests.
2. The Stars have won three straight meetings, including a pair by a combined 7-2 last season with Seguin and Radulov each scoring twice.
3. Pavelski recorded 355 of his 362 goals and 761 of his 776 points in 13 seasons with San Jose before signing with Dallas this season.