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Devils-Stars Preview

Nov 20, 2009 - 8:54 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

New Jersey (14-5-1) at Dallas (9-6-6), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Road games are suddenly giving the New Jersey Devils problems. A trip to Dallas may not help much.

Losers of two straight on the road, the Devils look to end a three-game skid at Dallas when they face the Stars on Saturday night.

New Jersey (14-5-1) is struggling away from the Prudential Center after coming within one game of tying an NHL record for road wins to start a season. The Devils lost 3-2 in a shootout at Nashville on Thursday night, three days after a 3-2 loss at Philadelphia.

A victory over the Flyers would have given New Jersey a league record-tying 10 straight road wins to open the season.

The Devils, in danger of losing three straight overall for the first time in 2009-10, will now try to beat the Stars (9-6-6) on the road for the first time since March 10, 2002. New Jersey has been held to three goals during its skid at Dallas.

Zach Parise, who has two goals and three assists in four games versus the Stars, enters this contest on a roll. With a six-game goal streak, he has matched Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos for the longest run in the league this season.

Parise has seven goals and four assists during his streak. He scored two goals versus the Predators, but couldn't convert in the shootout.

New Jersey's Dean McAmmond made his season debut in that contest, assisting on Parise's second goal. The veteran left wing was signed two weeks ago, but had been out with a sinus infection.

Devils center Dainius Zubrus left the loss to Nashville after being hit in the leg by a puck in the second period. Earlier in the day, New Jersey placed left wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (upper body) on injured reserve.

"It's getting worse and worse," coach Jacques Lemaire said of New Jersey's injury problems. "I don't know when it's going to stop. We still have to do our best."

Dallas will be without left wing James Neal, who was suspended two games for a boarding infraction that injured Derek Dorsettin a 4-1 loss to Columbus on Thursday night. Neal is tied for the team lead with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists).

The Stars lost for the third time in four games at home (1-1-2) and are 3-3-3 there on the season.

Mike Modano was one of the few bright spots for Dallas, scoring his 546th career goal on an assist from Jamie Benn.

The point was Benn's first since recording an assist in a 2-1 win over Vancouver on Nov. 6. The rookie left wing has three goals and nine assists.

"There's a lot of high expectations on him, and there's a lot of onus on him to come play every night," Modano said of Benn. "You're going to have some flashes where he has some great games. ... But he can make some plays, and you can see there's a lot of talent there."