Blue Jackets 2 - 4 Stars
Final
  for this game

Stars aim to deny Blue Jackets first win

Oct 15, 2011 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - The Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars will try to keep a desperate Columbus Blue Jackets squad out of the win column when the two teams square off tonight in the opener of a home-and-home series from American Airlines Center.

The Stars have won three of their first four games this season and recorded their second straight triumph with Thursday's 3-2 win versus the St. Louis Blues in the second portion of a three-game homestand. Brenden Morrow's power- play goal late in the second period put Dallas ahead for good, while Loui Eriksson netted a short-handed goal and Adam Burish also lit the lamp.

Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen allowed two goals on 38 shots.

"I've just been trying to keep going and so far so good," said Lehtonen, who has stopped 113-of-117 shots this season.

The Stars will kick off a four-game road trip in Columbus on Tuesday, followed by games against the Ducks, Kings and Coyotes. They are 3-0 at home and have scored nine goals in four games this season. Defenseman Sheldon Souray owns three assists and a plus-three rating in his first four games.

Columbus is off to the worst start in franchise history at 0-3-1 and lost 3-2 in a shootout versus Colorado on Wednesday at Nationwide Arena.

Rick Nash had a goal and an assist and Radek Martinek notched a goal for the Blue Jackets, who will play their second away game of the season and lost its road opener last Saturday in Minnesota. Steve Mason made 30 saves in defeat.

"It's obviously not the way we want to start the year if we expect the fans to come out and cheer us on and pay their hard earned money to come out here," Columbus center Jeff Carter said. "We have to start putting wins on the board."

Carter did not play in the game and missed Thursday's practice as well because of the flu. He is expected to play in tonight's game.

The Blue Jackets came up short in four chances with the extra skater on Wednesday and are 0-for-20 on the power play this season. The last team to start the season without a goal on the man advantage through the first four games was Anaheim in 2008-09.

Nash has two goals and three assists in four games.

Dallas and Columbus each won two games in last season's series, while the Stars have won nine of the past 16 encounters with the Jackets. Columbus has lost 14 of the 20 meetings in Big D.






Related News