Game Preview:
https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-star...ew/c-284253158
"STARS (9-9-6) at PENGUINS (13-7-3)
7 p.m. ET; SN360, ROOT, FS-SW+
Stars team scope
The Dallas Stars will look to end their road woes when they visit PPG Paints Arena. They are 3-6-4 away from American Airlines Center, including 0-2-2 in their past four road games. The Stars likely will turn to goalie Antti Niemi, who was first off the ice at the morning skate. Niemi is 5-2-3 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 13 games. Kari Lehtonen made 17 saves on 19 shots in in a 3-1 loss at the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Niemi allowed four goals on 31 shots in his previous start, a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Defenseman Stephen Johns, who broke his nose Tuesday, will play against the Penguins, his hometown team, for the first time. Johns was raised in Wampum, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. "I was a Penguins fan for the first 18 years of my life. I grew up and idolized guys like Mario [Lemieux] and [Jaromir Jagr]," Johns said. "I watched [Sidney Crosby] play. I used to come to the student rush games. It's going to be weird. I haven't been a Pens fan for six, seven years now, so it won't be as weird as if I was 18 years old. But it will be really cool to see a lot of friends and family." Forward Jamie Benn needs one goal for 200 in his career.
Penguins team scope
The Pittsburgh Penguins are home after losing 5-3 to the New York Islanders on Wednesday. They are 4-5-1 in their past 10 games after a 9-2-2 start. "We have to bury our chances," captain Sidney Crosby said Wednesday. "Some nights you're going to have a ton of them. … The game dictates that and you have to be able to capitalize." Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury likely will get the start after Matt Murray allowed four goals on 29 shots against the Islanders. Fleury, who is 6-5-3 with a 3.38 GAA and .901 save percentage, is 0-4-2 in his past six starts and has allowed 22 goals since making 38 saves in a 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 29. The Penguins did not have a morning skate. Forward Chris Kunitz (lower body) practiced Tuesday but did not play Wednesday. Coach Mike Sullivan has said Kunitz, who last played Nov. 19, is nearing a return after listing him as week to week. While the Penguins have struggled, Crosby has continued to thrive with five goals and nine points in his past seven games. He leads the NHL with 15 goals in 17 games.
Stars projected lineup
Jamie Benn -- Cody Eakin -- Tyler Seguin
Patrick Sharp -- Jason Spezza -- Patrick Eaves
Antoine Roussel -- Radek Faksa -- Brett Ritchie
Curtis McKenzie -- Devin Shore -- Lauri Korpikoski
Esa Lindell -- John Klingberg
Jordie Benn -- Julius Honka
Dan Hamhuis -- Stephen Johns
Antti Niemi
Kari Lehtonen
Scratched : Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth, Adam Cracknell
Injured : Johnny Oduya (lower body), Jiri Hudler (illness), Ales Hemsky (hip), Mattias Janmark (knee)
Penguins projected lineup
Conor Sheary -- Sidney Crosby -- Patric Hornqvist
Jake Guentzel -- Evgeni Malkin -- Bryan Rust
Carl Hagelin -- Nick Bonino -- Phil Kessel
Tom Kuhnhackl -- Matt Cullen -- Scott Wilson
Olli Maatta -- Kris Letang
Brian Dumoulin -- Trevor Daley
Ian Cole -- Justin Schultz
Marc-Andre Fleury
Matt Murray
Scratched: Steve Oleksy, Tom Sestito, Eric Fehr, Derrick Pouliot
Injured : Chris Kunitz (lower body)
Status report
Johns cleared the NHL concussion protocol after being injured during a third-period collision with Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg on Tuesday. …. Pittsburgh recalled Pouliot (lower body) from his conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday. He has played in one game this season.
Who's hot
Seguin has an assist in each of his past two games. He leads the Stars with 24 points. … Malkin has seven points in his past six games, including a goal against the Islanders. He has 22 points, tying him with Crosby for the Penguins lead."
Pens have to rebound tonight. Fleury needs to turn in a solid performance. Last night the team looked flat until about half way through the third period.
LGP!
Let's go Pens
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