Devils at Stars
The Dallas Stars are struggling - especially on defense - and hope to turn it around when they host the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Dallas has lost four straight (0-3-1) and seven of its last eight (1-5-2) while allowing 33 goals in its last seven contests following Tuesday's 5-3 loss in Nashville, and finds itself tied with St. Louis for second place in the Central - two points behind Chicago with a game in hand after leading the division for most of the season.
“Our best players have to be our best players, and our best players have to play the right way every night,'' Stars captain Jamie Benn told reporters. "It’s getting old now, but it all starts in the defensive end. When you’re not playing the right way, or you’re having a tough time out there, you have to work harder and find a way to dig yourself out of that hole.” Dallas will be less than full strength against New Jersey as Patrick Sharp - fourth on the team in goals and points - is expected to miss one week and defenseman Jordie Benn perhaps two with lower-body injuries. The Devils rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory in Nashville on Thursday as Adam Henrique scored with 39.7 seconds left in the third period to force overtime and completed his second two-goal effort of the season 1:54 into the extra period. New Jersey, which had lost six of its previous seven games (1-6-0), remains five points behind Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but has played two more games than the Penguins.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (31-27-7): Henrique has recorded three goals in his last two games to increase his season total to 22 while Kyle Palmieri scored his team-best 24th on Thursday. Devante Smith-Pelly, who was fined $2,000 by the NHL on Thursday for embellishment on Feb. 24, notched a goal and an assist in his New Jersey debut on Thursday after being acquired from Montreal three days earlier. The Devils decided to use backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid against Nashville, allowing Cory Schneider (.924 save percentage) to face the Stars.
ABOUT THE STARS (38-20-7): Sharp (17 goals, 47 points) suffered a lower-body injury in Monday's 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit and tried to play through it but could not finish Tuesday's contest. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin share the team lead and are tied for fourth in the NHL with 32 goals apiece while Benn (71) has three more points than Seguin - good for second in the league. Defenseman Kris Russell played 18:21 and recorded two shots, a hit, a blocked shot and a minus-1 rating in his Dallas debut on Tuesday while paired with Jordie Benn, prompting coach Lindy Ruff to tell reporters: “I thought he played well. I thought he moved the puck well. I thought that pair was really good for us, so I think that was a great first showing.”
OVERTIME
1. Russell was paired with D John Klingberg (10 goals, team-best 43 assists) in Thursday's practice.
2. The Stars, who are 10-12-4 since the calendar flipped to 2016, have allowed eight power-play goals in their last eight games.
3. New Jersey prevailed 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 2 in the first meeting of the two-game season series behind 29 saves from Schneider.