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Well-rested Stars visit Jets

Oct 11, 2013 - 2:47 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The well-rested Dallas Stars emerge from a five-day hiatus on Friday, when they visit the Winnipeg Jets for a Central Division clash at MTS Centre.

The Stars are 1-1-0 on the season, opening with consecutive home games on Oct. 3 and 5, respectively, before getting some time off. After beating the Washington Capitals by a 2-1 score on Saturday, Dallas had five whole days to rest before kicking off a three-game road trip tonight in Winnipeg.

Friday's tilt against the Jets also begins a stretch of five road tests in six games for the Stars, who had identical 11-11-2 records at home and on the road last season.

"Now we get to get up and running, play on a consistent basis," said Stars head coach Lindy Ruff, who is in his first season behind the Dallas bench. "We get to try to find our groove, find our game and really find out about each other as a team."

Ruff, the former longtime head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, earned his first win as Dallas' bench boss last Saturday. Alex Chiasson's second-period tally proved to be the difference, as the Stars downed the visiting Capitals.

Chiasson has a goal in each game for the Stars this season after posting six goals and an assist in seven games as a rookie in 2013.

Erik Cole also lit the lamp and Kari Lehtonen stopped 25-of-26 shots for the Stars, who had suffered a season-opening loss to Florida.

Dallas has visited Winnipeg just once since the franchise relocated from Atlanta following the 2010-11 campaign. The clubs will see a lot of each other from now on, as they're both members of the Central Division following the installation of the NHL's realignment plan for this season.

Winnipeg beat the Stars 5-2 when the clubs last met at MTS Centre on March 14, 2012, but Dallas has taken three of the past five encounters with the former Atlanta Thrashers.

The Jets are coming off a loss on Thursday, when they were dealt a 2-1 regulation setback by the Minnesota Wild.

Matt Cooke netted the winner just after the midway point of regulation, helping the Wild grab two points on home ice against its new Central Division rival. Bryan Little scored the lone goal for the Jets and Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves in a losing effort.

It was the second straight loss for Winnipeg, which began its 2013-14 schedule with consecutive wins against Edmonton and Los Angeles only to lose the last two versus Anaheim and the Wild.

"We chased pretty much the whole night and never created very much through the neutral zone," Jets head coach Claude Noel said.

Although Winnipeg is 1-1-0 on the road and at home this season, the club should be happy its kicking off a six-game homestand on Friday. The Jets were 13-10-1 at MTS Centre last season, while going a respectable 11-11-2 on the road.

The Jets also will host New Jersey, Montreal, St. Louis, Nashville and Washington during this residency.