Dallas @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 11, 2020 ) Carolina 1, Dallas 4

Two days removed from having to use a 42-year-old Zamboni driver in net to beat Toronto, the Carolina Hurricanes showed they can be equally resourceful in plugging some major holes at Monday's trade deadline. Sitting two points out of the top wild card, the retooled Hurricanes enter a rugged stretch against the visiting Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

With netminders Petr Mrazek and James Reimer and defenseman Brett Pesce sustaining long-term injuries in Saturday's win, Carolina general manager Don Waddell moved quickly to bolster his lineup by trading for defensemen Brady Skjei (New York Rangers) and Sami Vatanen (New Jersey Devils). Waddell also addressed the offense by acquiring former 30-goal scorer Vincent Trocheck from the Florida Panthers for four players, calling the moves "a strong message that we're here to win." Dallas, which is four points out of first place in the Central Division, has earned points in seven of its last eight games (6-1-1), including a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Feb. 11. The Stars, who have not lost more than two straight since the first week of December, will wrap up their three-game road trip with visits to division leaders Boston and St. Louis following Tuesday's matchup.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southwest, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE STARS (36-20-6): Dallas rebounded from a 5-1 shellacking at home by St. Louis with a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Sunday but stood pat Monday, with general manager Jim Nill telling reporters: “Lots of talk, but in the end, nothing really came close.” Captain Jamie Benn has not scored a goal in six games since registering a hat trick versus Carolina earlier this month, boosting his career total to 11 tallies and 11 assists in 18 games against the Hurricanes. Tyler Seguin has seven points in his last seven and 16 in 24 games against Carolina.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (35-22-4): With the team calling up goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg from Charlotte of the American Hockey League, Waddell said it was imperative to shore up the defense with the deals for Skjei and the injured Vatanen, who is expected to be ready in early March. Trocheck scored a career-high 31 goals in 2017-18 but has 10 tallies and 36 points in 55 games this season. "We gave up a lot to get a player that we think fits what we're all about," coach Rod Brind'Amour said of Trocheck. "It fills a need that we definitely have."

OVERTIME

1. Nedeljkovic turned aside 24 of 26 shots to beat Vancouver on Jan. 23 in his lone NHL appearance this season.

2. Stars G Ben Bishop is 8-3-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and two shutouts versus Carolina.

3. Carolina on Monday traded Fs Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark, D Fredrik Claesson, prospects Janne Kuokkanen, Chase Priskie and Eetu Luostarinen and two draft picks, including a first-rounder to New York.

PREDICTION: Stars 3, Hurricanes 2