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Stars-Oilers Preview
Dallas Stars at Edmonton Oilers
- Dallas defeated Anaheim, 3-1, on Friday and has now won a season-high three straight games overall. Including each game during their current win streak, the Stars are 5-1-0 when netting 3+ goals in 2012-12 (1-4-1 when scoring two or fewer goals).
- Edmonton beat Columbus, 3-1, on Sunday, snapping its 5-game losing skid in the process. Since dropping their first home game of the season (6-3 to San Jose), the Oilers are 2-0-2 in their last four games at Rexall Place.
- Including a 3-2 overtime victory last Wednesday, Dallas has defeated Edmonton five straight times and 10 of the last 11 times the two clubs have met overall. The Stars have held the Oilers to two or fewer goals in nine of the last 10 meetings.
- Trevor Daley lit the lamp for the first time in his last 57 games on Friday on his way to first-star accolades for Dallas. Stars' blueliners have now combined for three goals in 2012-13 -- tied for second fewest of any team in the league.
- Devan Dubnyk turned away 39 of 40 shots by the Blue Jackets on Sunday, garnering first-star accolades in the process. Dubnyk is 3-1-3 with a 1.80 GAA and .948 save percentage in his last seven starts.
- The Oilers have allowed an average of 34.0 shots on goal per game in 2012-13 -- most in the Western Conference. Stars' opponents are putting 32.3 shots on goal per game this season -- second most in the West.
(AP) -- The Dallas Stars are riding high in confidence as they start a three-game trip in the same place where their previous one ended last week.
The Stars seek a fourth straight victory Tuesday night when they visit an Edmonton Oilers team searching for consistency.
These teams are both one-quarter through their season with 13 points apiece, but there's a different mood for Dallas (6-5-1) than Edmonton (5-4-3). The Stars are enjoying their longest win streak of the season entering a trip that also goes to Calgary and Vancouver.
"We've been winning now the last three games so we have to build on that," winger Loui Eriksson said. "We know it's going to be a tough road trip up here in Canada so it's going to be fun to get there and try to win the first one and just keep going."
The Oilers ended a five-game losing streak (0-2-3) with Sunday's 3-1 victory at Columbus, but were outshot 40-14 as Devan Dubnyk came to the rescue with a season-high 39 saves.
"You need a goalie to steal one for you once in a while," coach Ralph Krueger said. "We were really flat as a team and he was just world class and outstanding all the way through."
Dallas swept four 2011-12 meetings with Edmonton, and capped a 2-1-0 trip with a 3-2 victory at Rexall Place last Wednesday on Jaromir Jagr's overtime goal.
The Stars were 0 for 13 on the power play in four games before Derek Roy scored with the man advantage in that contest. Jamie Benn and Trevor Daley came through with power-play goals Friday in a 3-1 home victory over Anaheim.
"Just keep working on it, watching some video, working on it in practice," Benn said about the power play. "I think it just comes down to shooting pucks and keeping it simple and I think we did that tonight."
Benn has played in nine straight victories for the Stars over the Oilers, totaling eight goals and four assists.
Kari Lehtonen improved to 8-1-0 with an 1.89 goals-against average in his last nine starts against the Oilers last Wednesday.
Dubnyk, meanwhile, fell to 0-3-1 with a 4.01 GAA in four career starts versus the Stars. He has not been helped by his defense lately, facing at least 38 shots in four of his last five outings.
The Oilers, beginning a season-high five-game homestand, know they must get more offensive zone time.
"It's hard to create shots when you're in your own end, it's as simple as that," said center Sam Gagner, who has a team-high 13 points. "You've got to give them credit for the way they forechecked and hemmed us in. We just need to be a little harder in there."
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan expects Michael Ryder to play Tuesday after the veteran sat out practice Sunday for "maintenance." Ryder has three goals and two assists in three career games at Edmonton with Dallas.
Oilers rookie Nail Yakupov is tied with Ales Hemsky for the team lead with five goals, but has not scored in a season-high four straight contests.
Updated February 12, 2013
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