Coyotes at Stars
The Dallas Stars look to end a three-game winless skid overall and a seven-game home losing streak (0-5-2) when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Dallas extended both stretches on Tuesday when it fell for the 10th time in 12 contests (2-8-2) with a 6-4 setback to Carolina. "I think we are beating ourselves mentally right now," said NHL goal leader Tyler Seguin, who scored twice against the Hurricanes and did the same in the Stars' 4-3 triumph over the Coyotes on Nov. 11.
Arizona isn't setting the world on fire at home either, dropping its third straight game in the desert and fourth in six outings overall (2-3-1) with a 2-1 overtime loss to Washington on Tuesday. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the lone goal against the Capitals and fellow defenseman Connor Murphy collected a goal and an assist to account for half his season totals in the previous meeting with Dallas. Mike Smith, who entered the NHL with the Stars in 2006, yielded four goals on 32 shots against his former team last week.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (8-9-2): Mikkel Boedker saw his four-game point streak come to a halt against Washington, but admitted that he's adjusting nicely to the shift to right wing. "I feel more comfortable on the right side," Boedker told the Arizona Republic. "I think that's just the way I grew up, playing on the right side, and it comes natural to me." Boedker scored against Dallas in the last meeting and collected two goals and two assists during his point streak.
ABOUT THE STARS (6-9-4): Ryan Garbutt scored the game-winning goal on a short-handed breakaway with 1:16 remaining in the third period versus the Coyotes last week, but the 29-year-old won't have a chance to repeat the feat as he is expected to be sidelined for a week with an upper-body injury. Garbutt has only tallied twice this season after coming off a career year in 2013-14 with personal bests of 17 goals and 32 points. Defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka was recalled from Texas of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and will be inserted into the lineup versus Arizona.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas is an NHL-worst 1-5-4 at home this season after posting a solid 23-11-7 mark in 2013-14.
2. Arizona is 3-for-31 on the power play in the last eight games.
3. Stars G Kari Lehtonen has yielded 10 goals on 63 shots in his last two contests.