• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Stars-Wild Preview

Nov 28, 2015 - 6:44 AM Jamie Benn leads the NHL in goals, but he's having trouble translating that production onto the road.

Tyler Seguin isn't having any such problems.

Benn and Seguin look to continue their scoring barrage as the Dallas Stars seek a sixth straight road win Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild.

Only five of Benn's 17 goals have come on the road and none in the last five such games. That's in stark contrast to his output at home, where he has 12 goals in 12 contests, totaling seven during a five-game streak there.

Benn scored five times during a 2-1-0 homestand, one coming in the first period of Friday's 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver.

Seguin's production is practically the complete opposite despite playing on the same line as Benn. He ranks second on the team with 12 goals, scoring 10 in 11 road games, including one in each of the last three.

That's a big reason why the Western Conference-leading Stars (18-5-0) are 9-2-0 on the road with wins in their last five there.

The trend with Benn and Seguin continued in a 3-2 overtime win against Minnesota on Nov. 14. Benn had a goal and two assists, combining with Seguin on John Klingberg's winning tally.

Kari Lehtonen had 22 saves in that meeting, but he's out with an upper-body injury. Antti Niemi made 34 saves and turned aside all three shootout attempts Friday.

"I thought (Niemi) was excellent," coach Lindy Ruff said, "and made some big saves."

It's not certain that Niemi will start on back-to-back days for the first time this season. That could mean Jack Campbell might get his second career start after being called up from Texas of the AHL on Thursday. His only NHL appearance was a 41-save effort in a 6-3 loss at Anaheim on Oct. 20, 2013.

The Wild (11-7-3) have dropped five of their last six games after going 10-3-2 through their first 15. They fell to 1-2-0 on this four-game homestand with Friday's 3-1 loss to Winnipeg, mustering a season-low 15 shots despite the return of Zach Parise.

"I look at the first part of the season and I think our record was a little misleading. I think there were a lot of inconsistencies in our game," coach Mike Yeo said. "What happens is I think we're playing the same game that we were at the start of the year, but the league gets better. So right now we're not getting away with those things."

Parise was held without a point and registered one shot in his first game after missing eight with a sprained knee ligament. He has no points in five consecutive games, his longest drought since joining Minnesota as a free agent prior to 2012-13.

Parise hasn't gone six games without a point since March 2006 during his rookie season with New Jersey.

More importantly, his knee isn't bothering him.

"I felt a little behind in the conditioning, but I was kind of expecting that," Parise told the team's official website.

Parise has 11 goals and 14 assists in 18 career games against Dallas, scoring two of Minnesota's six third-period goals in a 6-2 home win Feb. 22.