chi/dal
chi/dal
(Sports Network) - The Dallas Stars hope to move back into the National Hockey League penthouse tonight when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to AmericanAirlines Center.
Dallas, with 89 points, is one behind Ottawa for the best record in the league, and the Stars hold a game in hand. However, the Stars are also just one point ahead of Vancouver in the Western Conference race.
On Sunday, Dallas ended a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh to open a four-game homestand. Jason Arnott scored twice, including an empty-netter, and Jere Lehtinen also tallied, while Ron Tugnutt made 19 saves.
Lehtinen stretched his points streak to five games (4g, 1a) and goal-scoring run to four. He has posted a career-high 27 goals this season.
Dallas played its second straight game without All-Star Bill Guerin, who is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a severely bruised thigh that required emergency surgery over the weekend.
With a win tonight the Stars, 18-3-7-1 in their last 29 games, can surpass last year's point total of 90 points. The franchise record for most points in a season is 114, set during the Stanley Cup-winning 1998-99 campaign.
Dallas, 2-0-2 in its last four home tilts, will host Nashville on Friday.
Chicago, meanwhile, has lost seven straight games (0-5-0-2), the last two in overtime. On Sunday the Hawks dropped a 3-2 decision to Colorado, as the Avs' Alex Tanguay provided the heroics. Alexei Zhamnov had tied the match with three seconds left in regulation.
Zhamnov finished with two goals for the Blackhawks, while Jocelyn Thibault made 26 saves.
Chicago is expected to remain without the services of winger Eric Daze, who did not accompany the team to Big D. He has missed three games with an infected ankle.
The Blackhawks, with 63 points, have dipped to 12th in the Western Conference and sit seven behind eighth-place Edmonton. They would also have to leap Phoenix, Los Angeles and Nashville to secure the final postseason berth.
Chicago, which has lost three of its last four away from home, will host Calgary on Friday.
Dallas is 3-0 against Chicago this season, and 4-0-1 in the last five meetings overall. The Hawks have lost in consecutive trips to Big D.
2002-2003 Meetings
12/15 - Dallas, 5-0 (at Chi)
01/09 - Dallas, 4-3 ot (at Dal)
02/23 - Dallas, 3-0 (at Chi)
2001-2002 Meetings
10/20 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Dal)
01/20 - Chicago, 3-2 (at Chi)
03/18 - Tied, 2-2 ot (at Chi)
04/12 - Dallas, 3-1 (at Dal)
2000-2001 Meetings
10/20 - Dallas, 5-1 (at Chi)
12/15 - Dallas, 4-1 (at Dal)
03/07 - Chicago, 4-1 (at Dal)
03/13 - Dallas, 3-0 (at Chi)
Game Notes
Note - Dallas is unbeaten (4-0-1) in the last five meetings.
Note - Dallas is 5-1-2 in the last eight and 8-2-3 in the last 13 meetings.
Note - Dallas is 10-4-4 in the last 18 and 15-5-5 in the last 25 meetings.
Note - Chi has lost two straight after unbeaten in its last two at Dallas.
Note - Chicago is 1-4-1 in its last six at Dallas.
Note - Chicago is 2-9-1 in its last 12 at Dallas.
Note - Dallas is unbeaten (2-0-1) in its last three at Chicago.
Note - Dallas is 5-1-2 in its last eight and 5-3-4 in its last 12 at Chicago.
Note - Chicago has lost seven straight and 10 of its last 11 games.
Note - Chicago has lost three of its last four road games.
Note - Dallas is 3-1-3-1 in its last eight games.
Note - Dallas is unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four home games.
Note - Dallas is 6-1-3 in its last 10 home games.
The under is 6-1-2 in the past nine meetings.
Chicago is 3-12 ATS in their last 15 away.
CHI has scored 1.6 gls/gm in last five overall.
The Stars have won the last four meetings ATS.
Dallas is 22-10 ATS at home this season.
The under is 7-1 in DAL's last eight at home.