(Sports Network) - A pair of struggling teams will battle for two points on
Friday, as the Dallas Stars host the Phoenix Coyotes at American Airlines
Center in the opener of a home-and-home series.
Both the Stars and Coyotes have 2-4-1 records so far this season, tying them
for last place in the division. Dallas has struggled more than the Coyotes
recently, losing four straight heading into this contest.
Friday's tilt marks the second meeting between the rivals this season. Dallas
posted a 4-3 home win over the Coyotes to open the season on Jan. 19, giving
the Stars four wins in the last seven encounters. Phoenix has lost three of
its previous four games in Big D.
The clubs will meet Saturday at Jobing.com Arena, where the Coyotes have taken
three of the last four matchups.
Dallas lost its fourth straight game Tuesday in Detroit, as the Red Wings used
a pair of goals from Valtteri Filppula and 25 saves from Jimmy Howard to
cruise to the 4-1 win at Joe Louis Arena.
Kari Lehtonen made 21 saves for the Stars in defeat, while Loui Eriksson
scored the team's only goal.
In light of the recent slide, the Stars are shaking up the roster a bit
heading into this contest. Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and forward Antoine
Roussel were both recalled from the AHL's Texas Stars on Wednesday and are
expected to make their NHL debuts on Friday. Forward Reilly Smith was sent
down to the AHL to make room.
"I think it's a good time to take a look at both kids," Stars general manager
Joe Nieuwendyk said. "It gives us a little bit of a different look. We're
still searching for our identity."
Oleksiak was the 14th overall pick of the 2011 draft and is one of Dallas' top
prospects. The 6-foot-7 blueliner had three goals, 20 assists and a plus-12
rating in 43 games for the Texas Stars this season and was voted into the AHL
All-Star Game.
Roussel, an undrafted free agent out of France, had eight goals and 19 points
in 41 games for the Texas Stars in 2012-13.
For the Coyotes, Friday's game comes hours after the franchise's latest
prospective buyer fell through. Greg Jamison, who had a provisional deal in
place to purchase the Coyotes, missed Thursday's midnight deadline to
officially buy the club from the NHL.
The NHL has retained control of the franchise since November of 2009,
purchasing it from Jerry Moyes and rescuing the team from bankruptcy.
Jamison's failure to meet the deadline opens the door for another buyer to
step in and purchase the club from the league.
Not being able to find a new owner hasn't stopped Phoenix from making the
playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but the Coyotes do not look like a
postseason club in the early going in 2013. The team has dropped five of seven
games to begin the season, but Phoenix could receive a boost from the return
of No. 1 goaltender Mike Smith.
Smith has missed the last four games with a groin injury, but he's
eligible to come off injured reserve on Friday and is expected to start
against the Stars.
"It's gotten a lot better over the last few days, so I'm excited to get back
in the lineup," Smith said on Thursday. "I'm ready."
Smith is 5-1-4 with a 2.14 goals against average in 10 career games against
Dallas. He went 3-0-3 with a 1.28 GAA in six starts versus the Stars in
2011-12.
The Coyotes were fortunate to earn a point in Wednesday's loss to visiting
Edmonton. Nick Johnson scored with 19 seconds left in regulation to help
Phoenix force overtime, but Nail Yakupov scored with 1:08 left in the extra
session to lift the Oilers to the 2-1 win.
On the power play in the extra session, a shot from Taylor Hall at the right
point hit off the hand of Ray Whitney in the slot and popped into the air.
Parked at the right side, Yakupov whacked it in for the winner.
"I thought we competed hard and did some good things out there tonight," said
Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett. "We had lots of chances out there in the
third period to take the win, but we didn't do it and that's the way it goes
sometimes."
Chad Johnson made 19 saves in the loss.
Phoenix forwards Martin Hanzal and Steve Sullivan are questionable for
Friday's game with lower body injuries.
The Sports Network