Senators at Stars
Veteran forward Jason Spezza makes his first appearance against the team with which he spent his first 11 seasons when the Dallas Stars host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Spezza, who served as team captain in his final season with Ottawa, requested an offseason trade after the Senators failed to make the playoffs. "I wish I would have had longer with the 'C,'" Spezza said. "It was kind of a bad one-year term, but it is what it is."
Spezza is third on the team in scoring in what has been an up-and-down first season with Dallas, which has at least four losing streaks of at least three games, including the current four-game skid (0-2-2). With NHL co-leading goal scorer Tyler Seguin among three key players missing practice Monday and listed as questionable due to illness or injury, the Stars could be hard-pressed to halt their swoon. Captain Jamie Benn and Vernon Fiddler also sat out Monday's practice.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RDS (Ottawa), FSN Southwest Plus (Dallas)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (17-16-8): Ottawa's dormant power play finally came to life in a 5-1 win at Arizona on Saturday night, converting on 2-of-5 chances to halt a three-game losing streak. "All the good things we did, we're better getting pucks and bodies to the net for sure," coach Dave Cameron said. "You just want to keep building on that. That gives us the best chance to create offense." Backup netminder Robin Lehner will get the start Tuesday and is looking to end a three-game slide, having allowed four goals in each of the losses.
ABOUT THE STARS (18-16-7): Dallas produced five power-play tallies during a four-game winning streak but has followed that up by going 0-for-14 during the four-game skid, including 0-for-6 in Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Colorado. “Our power play has to be better," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "To win in the league, you have to get power-play goals. That makes a difference." Spezza is on pace to score 14 goals, his lowest total since his rookie season (excluding 2012-13, when injuries limited him to only five games).
OVERTIME
1. Dallas has won five straight against Ottawa.
2. Senators F Alex Chiasson, among the players acquired in the deal for Spezza, has been held off the scoresheet for the last 11 games.
3. Seguin, who was sick Monday, has scored only once in the past nine games.