Stars-Red Wings Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON

(AP) -- Like their next opponent, the Dallas Stars have endured a lackluster start to this season. The Stars, though, were the better team in last week's visit to Detroit.

They'll try to earn another road victory over the Red Wings on Tuesday night and snap a three-game losing streak.

Dallas won two of its first three games and nearly shut out Detroit in a 2-1 win last Tuesday. Michael Ryder scored both goals as his team snapped a four-game skid in the series, and the Stars kept the Red Wings off the scoreboard until Damien Brunner tallied his first NHL goal with four seconds remaining.

Dallas is 0-2-1 since that victory and couldn't take advantage of its continued penalty-killing success on the road Monday against Columbus. The Stars (2-3-1) didn't allow a goal in the seven times they were short-handed but Philip Larsen had his team's only score in a 2-1 defeat.

"We got away from the game plan and we started turning pucks over," coach Glen Gulutzan said. "Instead of them losing momentum from all the penalty kills, we gave it to them with the turnovers at the blue line."

Dallas' penalty killers are 14 for 14 on the road but the team's only win away from home was against Detroit (2-2-1), which is 2 for 26 with a man advantage this season. The Stars killed off four Red Wings power plays last Tuesday.

The loss to Columbus also featured the season debut of Jamie Benn, who agreed to a five-year, $26.25 million deal Thursday. The 23-year-old center could play a significant role in his team's attempt at another win over Detroit.

Benn, who has topped 20 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons, has scored twice and recorded seven assists in his last six games against the Red Wings. Ryder has four goals and two assists in his last four matchups.

The Stars won't have Derek Roy for this game after he was placed on injured reserve (groin), and fellow forward Ray Whitney has also been dealing with a sore foot but played Monday.

Dallas, however, will get to face a team that's even more injury-plagued. Darren Helm (back), Mikael Samuelsson (groin), Ian White (quadriceps) and Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder) are expected to sit out Tuesday.

The status of Valtteri Filppula (knee) is unknown after he was held out of practice Monday. The Red Wings are playing their first season without stalwarts Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom, who both retired.

Detroit, though, will get one day of rest this time while the Stars will be playing the second of back-to-back contests.

The Red Wings will try to use that advantage to end their first-period scoreless drought. They're the only team without a goal in the opening frame.

"You always want to get that first goal and grab hold of the momentum," forward Drew Miller told the team's website. "I think we're getting opportunities. I think if we work a little bit harder, maybe a little smarter, we're going to get those chances and they'll go in for us."

Detroit's leading scorer Pavel Datsyuk hasn't tallied a goal in his last six games against Dallas but has four assists. New Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has one goal and nine assists in his last 11 matchups.

Jaromir Jagr needs one goal to tie former Red Wings forward Luc Robitaille for 10th on the all-time list. Jagr, who returned Monday after a one-game absence due to an ailing back, doesn't have a point in his last four games against Detroit.

Updated January 29, 2013