Final
  for this game

Wild-Stars Preview

Feb 2, 2010 - 3:51 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Minnesota (27-24-4) at Dallas (24-20-11), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Dallas Stars have played very well at home this season. The Minnesota Wild don't need to be reminded.

Dallas looks to win its 12th straight home game against Minnesota on Tuesday night when the Wild play their final road game for more than a month.

With a chance to post three straight overall victories for the first time this season, the Stars (24-20-11) had their five-game winning streak at American Airlines Center snapped with Sunday's 4-2 loss to Phoenix.

"It was a tough one to take," center Brad Richards told the Stars' official Web site. "We've been playing well at home, but we didn't play a full 60 minutes tonight. It was a little too late to try to turn it on."

Dallas, though, is still 13-3-2 at home since Nov. 19.

The Stars are undefeated on home ice versus Minnesota (27-24-4) since a 3-2 overtime loss on March 21, 2003.

In the teams' last meeting in Dallas on Jan. 18, the Stars won 4-3 behind three assists from Richards and a goal and an assist apiece from Loui Eriksson and defenseman Matt Niskanen.

Richards, who leads Dallas with 44 assists and 59 points, has three goals and seven assists in his last six games against Minnesota.

Eriksson has four goals with eight assists in his last seven matchups versus the Wild. He is tied with James Neal with a team-high 21 goals.

Alex Auld, who made 22 saves in the Jan. 18 victory, will likely make his seventh start in nine games Tuesday. Auld is 5-2-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average in eight career starts against Minnesota and 6-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA in his last seven home starts.

While the Stars are looking to add to their one-point lead over the Wild in the Western Conference standings, Minnesota is trying for its second win on a three-game trip after going 0-5-0 on the road from Dec. 29-Jan. 18.

Due to the Winter Olympic break that begins Feb. 15, Tuesday is the Wild's final road game until March 3 against Calgary.

After opening its trip with a 1-0 victory over Colorado on Thursday, Minnesota had its three-game winning streak snapped with Saturday's 5-2 loss to Western Conference-leading San Jose.

"I like the way the guys battled and competed," Wild coach Todd Richards said.

Minnesota, though, allowed a franchise-high four power-play goals. Dallas, meanwhile, is 1 of 13 with the man-advantage in its last four games.

Josh Harding will likely make his fourth straight start in net for the Wild after Niklas Backstrom did not participate in Monday's morning skate due to a sore back.

Harding, who has lost five of his last six starts on the road, stopped all 14 shots he faced in the Jan. 18 loss after Backstrom was pulled in the second period.

With both teams battling for one of the final playoff spots, Harding could be facing another physical matchup Tuesday after trading punches with Stars center Steve Ott in the teams' previous meeting.

Wild center Mikko Koivu, who leads the team with 16 goals and 49 points, has a point in each of the last five games versus Dallas.

Minnesota hosts Dallas on April 10 in each team's regular-season finale.






  • 75
    roots
    MattDOOM777 Added 5 roots

    Wild 2, Stars 4  FinalFeb 3 7:49 AM
  • 70
    roots
    LMPtG1 Added 10 roots

    Wild 2, Stars 4  FinalFeb 3 6:01 AM


  • NHL
    FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
    --- --- --- -----
    MINNESOTA 0 1 1 2
    DALLAS 1 2 1 4 FINAL
    GOAL SCORING:
    1ST PRD: DAL - JAMES NEAL 22 (KARLIS SKRASTINS, LOUI ERIKSSON) 11:00
    2ND PRD: DAL - (PP) BRAD RICHARDS 16 (MIKE MODANO, JERE LEHTINEN)
    12:54
    MIN - (PP) GUILLAUME LATENDRESSE 17 (BRENT BURNS, OWEN
    NOLAN) 19:10
    DAL - MIKE MODANO 1

    Feb 2 10:42 PM


  • -------------------------------------------
    Minnesota
    0 1 1 --2
    Dallas 1 2 1 --4
    -------------------------------------------

    FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Dallas, James Neal 22 (Karlis Skrastins,
    Loui Eriksson), 11:00. Penalties: M Havlat, Min (holding), 1:01; C
    Clutterbuck, Min (major fighting), 12:00; S Ott, Dal (major
    fighting), 12:00.

    SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring

    Feb 2 10:33 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 2
    DALLAS 4 03:04 LEFT, 3RD PRD

    Wild 2, Stars 4  3rd - 3:04Feb 2 10:26 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 2
    DALLAS 3 03:57 LEFT, 3RD PRD

    Wild 2, Stars 3  3rd - 3:57Feb 2 10:25 PM
  • 60
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 60 roots (Close Finish)

    Wild 2, Stars 3  3rd - 3:57Feb 2 10:25 PM


  • --------------------------------------
    Minnesota
    0 1 --1
    Dallas 1 2 --3
    --------------------------------------

    FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Dallas, James Neal 22 (Karlis Skrastins,
    Loui Eriksson), 11:00. Penalties: M Havlat, Min (holding), 1:01; C
    Clutterbuck, Min (major fighting), 12:00; S Ott, Dal (major
    fighting), 12:00.

    SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Dallas, Brad Ri

    Feb 2 9:38 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 1
    DALLAS 3 00:24 LEFT, 2ND PRD

    Wild 1, Stars 3  2nd - 0:24Feb 2 9:37 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 1
    DALLAS 2 00:49 LEFT, 2ND PRD

    Wild 1, Stars 2  2nd - 0:49Feb 2 9:37 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 0
    DALLAS 2 07:06 LEFT, 2ND PRD

    Wild 0, Stars 2  2nd - 7:06Feb 2 9:24 PM


  • ---------------------------------
    Minnesota
    0 --0
    Dallas 1 --1
    ---------------------------------

    FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Dallas, James Neal 22 (Karlis Skrastins,
    Loui Eriksson), 11:00. Penalties: M Havlat, Min (holding), 1:01; C
    Clutterbuck, Min (major fighting), 12:00; S Ott, Dal (major
    fighting), 12:00.

    Shots on goal:
    ---------------------------------
    Minnesota

    Feb 2 8:44 PM


  • NHL
    MINNESOTA 0
    DALLAS 1 09:00 LEFT, 1ST PRD

    Wild 0, Stars 1  1st - 9:00Feb 2 8:27 PM