Maple Leafs at Stars
THE STORY: The Dallas Stars appear to have righted the ship following a major lull in the middle of the month. The Stars carry a two-game winning streak into Friday's contest against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Dallas escaped with a 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings last time out, tying the game with 20 seconds remaining before pulling it out in extra time. Things looked bleak during the club's five-game losing streak, but it has scored seven times in back-to-back victories after managing just four goals during the skid. Dallas welcomes a Toronto club that has ratcheted up the firepower with 16 goals in its last three outings. NHL scoring leader Phil Kessel is as dangerous as ever, while linemate Joffrey Lupul remains one of the league's biggest surprises with 26 points so far. This is Toronto's first visit to Dallas since October 2009.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Ontario, Fox Sports Southwest.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (12-8-2): Head coach Ron Wilson is done talking about his ailing No. 1 goalie. With James Reimer still recovering from concussion symptoms, Wilson has told reporters he will no longer discuss the second-year netminder until he is ready to return to action. Before entering the cone of silence, Wilson did confirm that Reimer was "about 10 days away" from being ready to make an appearance in a game. Reimer hasn't played since suffering the injury back on Oct. 22.
ABOUT THE STARS (13-8-0): When the Stars traded James Neal to Pittsburgh last season, then lost star center Brad Richards via free agency, young forward Jamie Benn was asked to pick up some of the offensive slack. He has delivered in a way that has exceeded expectations, leading the club in scoring with 21 points in 21 games. The 22-year-old has admirabily filled Richards' role as the team's primary setup man, ranked in the top 10 in the league with 15 assists.
OVERTIME:
1. Toronto beat Dallas 4-1 in their previous meeting Nov. 22, 2010. That win ended a four-game losing skid in which the Stars outscored the Maple Leafs 17-7.
2. Dallas is one of six teams yet to record a shutout this season, joining Calgary, Chicago, Ottawa, Columbus and the New York Islanders.
3. The Maple Leafs' power play has been sensational of late, scoring in each of the last five games while converting at a 53.3-percent clip over that span.