Blackhawks-Stars Preview
Jonathan Toews' brief absence didn't make a difference in the Chicago Blackhawks' first game after the All-Star break, but his return certainly did in the latest.
The Dallas Stars head home hoping they can withstand the loss of a key player and close the gap on the first-place Blackhawks as the Central Division foes face off Saturday night.
Dallas (33-14-5) has kept pace with the Blackhawks by winning its first two out of the break, though Thursday's comeback victory at Colorado was marred by Jason Spezza's upper-body injury that will sideline the veteran center for at least a few games.
''I'm going to say it's more than a few days,'' coach Lindy Ruff said following the Stars' 4-3 overtime win.
Spezza's 18 goals rank third among Dallas players and he's amassed a team-leading 15 points over the last 15 games.
The Stars, winners of three straight and first in the NHL with 169 goals, still possess two of the league's top four scorers in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and one of its best offensive defenseman in John Klingberg, whose goal 35 seconds into overtime capped Dallas' comeback from a 3-2 deficit after two periods.
"I thought we fought through some adversity," Ruff said. "I thought we could have got some calls (Thursday). It was a gutsy win."
Chicago (35-16-4) also displayed some resolve in Thursday's 5-4 win at Arizona that maintained its three-point edge over the Stars. It had a first-period goal waved off that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from coach Joel Quenneville, which led to the Coyotes scoring on the resulting power play, then blew a late one-goal lead before Toews scored with 28.5 seconds left in overtime.
Toews recorded his league-leading fifth overtime goal and scored short-handed earlier in his return from a one-game suspension. The Chicago captain was forced to sit out Tuesday's 2-1 win at Colorado after skipping Sunday's All-Star Game with an illness.
"It's about getting opportunities," he said. "After you get a few early in the season you feel confident in the situation. I'm glad I've been able to cash in on situations like that.''
The Blackhawks' five goals equaled their total during a 2-3-0 stretch that followed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak from Dec. 29-Jan. 19, a run that erased the Stars' 13-point lead in the Central.
Dallas has had little trouble producing points in recent matchups with Chicago, outscoring the Blackhawks 14-3 while winning the last three - two by shutout. Spezza scored a power-play goal and ex-Blackhawk Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 home win Dec. 22, supporting 20 saves from former Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi.
Niemi, part of the Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup champion team, has posted shutouts in two of his last three meetings with Chicago and is 7-2-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average in his past nine home starts.
Corey Crawford improved to 11-2-0 with a 1.77 GAA since Jan. 3 with 24 saves against Arizona but has conversely struggled in this series, having allowed 13 goals in Chicago's three straight defeats.
Dallas has won 11 of 14 at home and is 19-6-0 at American Airlines Center.