San Jose @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 8, 2018 ) San Jose 3, Dallas 4

Dallas captain Jamie Benn hopes to continue his scoring surge and the Stars look to improve their impressive record against the Pacific Division when they host the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. Dallas defeated Edmonton 4-1 on Monday to push its record against the Pacific to 8-0-1, including a 4-3 win over San Jose on Nov. 8, and Benn scored for the third straight game as the Stars earned at least a point for the fifth time in six contests (4-1-1).

“Jamie Benn has been phenomenal all year,” Dallas’ rookie coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. “It’s getting close to 10 games now that he’s winning so many battles. When your best players are your hardest workers you start to see the team build.” The Stars climbed into a playoff position in the Western Conference entering Thursday with their surge, allowing six goals in the last four games, while the Sharks rebounded from a rough road trip to rout Carolina 5-1 on Wednesday. San Jose was outshot 40-23 by the Hurricanes, but got three points apiece from forwards Joe Thornton and Timo Meier along with 39 saves from Martin Jones to answer a disturbing 1-3-1 trek. “We’re coming off the road, I was a little worried about our energy the first game back,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. “But we got off to a quick start, got the first goal, which was huge. I thought we had some bounces tonight which we haven’t gotten a lot of lately. And (Jones) was great.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TVA, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California (San Jose), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (14-10-5): Meier came back from a three-game injury absence to register a goal along with two assists, skating with Thornton and Marcus Sorensen, and has eight points in his last seven contests overall. “Your try to be a difference-maker,” the 22-year-old Meier told reporters. “Obviously, I’ve gained some confidence. I’ve learned a lot over the time I’ve spent here, so all I do is try to focus on what I can do to help the team.” Defenseman Brent Burns was held off the scoresheet Wednesday, but leads the team in points with 29 - two more than center Logan Couture.

ABOUT THE STARS (15-10-3): Forward Brett Ritchie, who had been scratched seven of the previous eight games, returned to the lineup with Blake Comeau on paternity leave and took advantage with a goal and an assist. “I thought Ritchie was the best he’s (been),” Montgomery told reporters. “We’ve talked to him about his puck possession needs to be better and I think the first goal of the game, he wins a forecheck, protects it, moves it, which ends up being a goal.” Benn tops the team with 12 goals and is second behind Tyler Seguin (26) with 24 points while fellow forward Alexander Radulov has 22.

OVERTIME

1. Thornton can tie Steve Yzerman for 18th in NHL history with his 1,514th appearance Friday and is two assists shy of Marcel Dionne (1,040) for 10th all time.

2. Dallas lost F Gemel Smith on waivers to Boston on Thursday and C Martin Hanzal (back) is expected to be activated for his season debut Friday.

3. Sharks captain Joe Pavelski scored his team-leading 18th goal Wednesday and has tallied five times in the last five contests.

PREDICTION: Stars 4, Sharks 3