Stars at Blue Jackets
The Dallas Stars are playing like the team with the most points in the NHL while the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking like the league's worst team. Dallas attempts to extend its point streak to six games when it visits Columbus on Tuesday.
While the Stars improved to 4-0-1 in their last five with a 3-0 win over Central Division-rival St. Louis on Sunday, the Blue Jackets have dropped three in a row to get comfortable in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division. Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella had no trouble speaking his mind after the team's 3-2 setback to Florida on Sunday, with the club's veterans squarely in the line of fire. "It's very frustrating ... I see weakness," Tortorella told reporters. "I think we're weak mentally, and it's not the kids. I worry about the kids getting into bad habits by watching other people. That's frightening to me."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest, FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE STARS (27-7-3): Antti Niemi turned aside all 20 shots he faced versus Chicago last Tuesday to highlight his performance en route to being named the NHL's Second Star of the Week. The 32-year-old Finn has dropped four of his last five decisions versus Columbus with a gaudy 4.03 goals-against average and could give way to Kari Lehtonen, who made 34 saves in Dallas' 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets on Dec. 15. Lehtonen is 12-2-0 with a .915 save percentage this season and owns an impressive 1.85 goals-against average in 13 career encounters with Columbus.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (13-22-3): Alexander Wennberg notched an assist for the second straight contest and has scored two goals and set up five others in the last six games. The 2013 first-round selection also had an assist in the first meeting with Dallas, but has yet to record a point in 10 home games this season. Veteran Scott Hartnell scored his team's lone goal versus the Stars and has five tallies and six assists in the last 11 contests.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas captain Jamie Benn and LW Patrick Sharp each scored and set up a goal on Sunday to extend their respective point streaks to five games.
2. Columbus' three-game homestand features Eastern Conference-leading Washington (Saturday) and tough customer Minnesota on Jan. 5.
3. Stars C Tyler Seguin tallied twice versus Columbus two weeks ago and has five goals in eight career meetings.