Preview: Vancouver at Dallas
When: 8:30 PM ET, Friday, November 27, 2015
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
The Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars will wrap up a three-game homestand against a team they have dominated when the Vancouver Canucks pay a visit on Friday night. Dallas posted a 4-3 overtime victory over the Canucks on Oct. 29 to extend their winning streak in the series to eight games, including five in a row at home.
The Stars have a five-game winning streak snapped in what defenseman John Klingberg termed “embarrassing” fashion, allowing a season-high goal total in a 7-4 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday. “That’s not something we’re proud of and it’s not going to happen again,” Klingberg told reporters. “That can be a lesson and we have to stay more focused.” Vancouver kicked off a four-game road trip by edging Minnesota 3-2 to win for only the third time in 11 games (3-6-2). It also marked the first time in that span that the Canucks held the opposition under three goals.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, SNET-P (Vancouver), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (9-8-6): Vancouver has been searching for some secondary scoring after the top line of the Sedin twins and Jannik Hansen accounted for 13 of the team’s 21 goals during a seven-game span. Radim Vrbata showed he can fill that role, ending a nine-game goalless drought versus New Jersey on Sunday and following it up with a two-goal game to spark the win over the Wild. “It was frustrating,” Vrbata said of his slump. “I don’t know if one game will change it, but hopefully this is the start of something good now.”
ABOUT THE STARS (17-5-0): Goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who was hurt in relief of an ineffective Antti Niemi on Tuesday, was placed on injured reserve and is expected to be sidelined for five to seven days. “Every team gets challenged with injuries, and here is our first challenge,” said Dallas coach Lindy Ruff, who summoned netminder Jack Campbell from Texas of the American Hockey League to serve as Niemi’s backup. Captain Jamie Benn scored a pair of goals against Ottawa to boost his league-leading total to 16.
OVERTIME
1. Niemi beat the Canucks last month to improve to 12-9-2 with a 2.59 goals-against average versus them.
2. Canucks leading scorer LW Daniel Sedin is riding a six-game points streak.
3. Stars C Tyler Seguin has five goals and 14 points in nine games versus Vancouver.
PREDICTION: Stars 5, Canucks 3