Coyotes at Stars
A pair of teams trying to climb out of deep early-season holes will square off when the resurgent Dallas Stars host the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night. The Coyotes have come alive following a stretch of of seven losses in eight games and will go for their season-high fourth consecutive victory. Arizona has permitted only four goals during its winning streak but has lost five straight in Dallas, including a 3-1 setback on Nov. 20.
The Stars have also turned things around since an ugly 1-4-1 stretch in which they surrendered five goals in each of the five defeats. Dallas has won six of its last seven and snapped the New York Rangers' eight-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Monday. "It was a good test to see how we measure up against a solid team like that,” Stars center Cody Eakin said. “I think we proved to ourselves and everyone that we are on the right track when we are playing well.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Plus Arizona, FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (14-18-4): Devan Dubnyk appears to have supplanted struggling starter Mike Smith as the No. 1 goaltender, stopping 91 of 95 shots during the three-game run. While Smith has won only five of his 23 appearances, Dubnyk has received the nod in six of the past seven games. "His demeanor back there speaks for itself," center Antoine Vermette said. "I think he plays with a lot of confidence. He keeps things under control. It is contagious throughout the team. He's big back there and seems to read the play real well."
ABOUT THE STARS (16-14-5): An improvement in goal has also sparked a turnaround for Dallas, with Kari Lehtonen going 5-1-0 with a 2.47 goals against average in his last seven starts. “After a little bit of a rough start, it’s nice to be able to help the team and really make a difference in the games,” said Lehtonen, who has started nine consecutive contests. “That’s my job and I am glad I’ve been able to do it lately. Hopefully, I can continue that same thing.” The Stars have converted on 4-of-16 power-play attempts in the past four games.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas, which won the first two meetings, can sweep a season series versus Arizona for the first time since 1991-92.
2. Coyotes D Oliver Ekman-Larsson has scored six goals in December and is tied for the league lead with five game-winning tallies.
3. Stars F Tyler Seguin, who tops the NHL with 25 goals, has scored 15 times in 19 home games.