Ducks at Stars
The Dallas Stars are spinning their wheels rather than contending for the Central Division lead as they start a five-game homestand Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. "This will be the season for us, I really feel. For me, I think all of the season is going to land on this homestand,'' Dallas coach Lindy Ruff told reporters after a 3-1 setback at Chicago on Sunday dropped the Stars 12 points behind the first-place Blackhawks and gave them 10 losses in their last 15 games (5-7-3).
Dallas' top line of Jason Spezza, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin was held pointless in the last two games after recording eight when Ruff put them together for the first time this season in a 5-2 victory over Nashville on Thursday. Anaheim defeated Ottawa 5-1 on Sunday for its third straight victory, allowing three goals in its last two games after yielding 13 in the previous two contests. The Ducks are tied for first in the Pacific Division with Edmonton, one ahead of Calgary with San Jose (two back) and Los Angeles (five) also in the mix. The Stars, who are two points back in the Western Conference wild-card race, won the first of three meetings this season and the 2016-17 opener for both teams 4-2 on Oct. 13 with Antti Niemi making 33 saves - 16 in the first period.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (15-9-5): Corey Perry (six goals, team-high 25 points along with Ryan Kesler) scored twice in the last three games after going 18 contests without a goal and Sunday's tally was his first this season on the power play. Kesler (team-most 12 goals) owns a five-game point streak (four goals, three assists) and plays 21 minutes, 20 seconds per game - most among Anaheim forwards. Antoine Vermette is known more for being one of the best faceoff men in the NHL (65.3 percent), but like Perry recorded a goal and an assist Sunday and has six of each this season.
ABOUT THE STARS (11-13-6): Seguin shares the club lead in goals (with Patrick Eaves) at 10 and his 19 assists are a team high, but the 24-year-old forward's minus-11 rating is cause for concern seeing as his career number is plus-59. Benn (eight goals, 24 points) sits at minus-7 this season and plus-19 for his career while Spezza (five goals, nine assists in 23 games) is a team-worst minus-15 after beginning the campaign plus-50. Defenseman Johnny Oduya, the oldest player on the team at age 35, returned Sunday after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury as did forward Jiri Hudler, who was out 20 games with a mysterious virus.
OVERTIME
1. Seguin and Benn scored only three goals apiece at even strength this season while half of Eaves have come on the power play.
2. Dallas D Jamie Oleksiak (three goals, four points, 16:08 TOI in 13 games) serves the second contest of a two-game suspension for an illegal hit against Philadelphia's Chris VandeVelde on Saturday and is eligible to return Thursday against the New York Rangers.
3. Anaheim is 13-28-1 in its last 42 games in Dallas.