Tampa Bay @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 1, 2018 ) Tampa Bay 5, Dallas 4

The Dallas Stars are enduring another mini-slump during their see-saw season and it won’t be easy to break out of it yet as they prepare to host the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. The Stars have lost three of four, managing one goal each in losses to Philadelphia (Thursday) and St. Louis (Saturday) - two of the league’s worst teams - but still hold down a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

“Two games in a row where we don’t compete at a level that’s acceptable,” Dallas coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. “It’s everybody. Unfortunately, I’m very frustrated that I have not been able to gain consistency in our performance, and I haven’t been able to change the culture of mediocrity.” The Stars shuffled the deck Monday by acquiring speedy veteran Andrew Cogliano from Anaheim for fellow forward Devin Shore and will need his pace against the Lightning, who are 18-2-1 in their last 21 games. However, Tampa Bay is coming off its second regulation loss since Nov. 27 when it gave up three goals in the first 4:43 en route to a 5-1 setback against the New York Islanders on Sunday. “Maybe we needed to feel what it’s like to get kicked in the teeth and not come back,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh told reporters. “Hopefully it’s a lesson learned here, and we can realize the way we played the last half of the game for sure was a little bit hungrier, a bit more assertive, units of five and that’s what you need to do right from the start.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (35-9-2): McDonagh scored the only goal Sunday - his second in six games this month and fifth overall - and leads the team with a plus-20 rating while fellow defenseman Victor Hedman (upper body) left the game after colliding with a referee. Right wing Nikita Kucherov tops the league with 75 points, despite being shut out on two shots Sunday, and captain Steven Stamkos had an assist against the Islanders - his fifth point in three games. Center Anthony Cirelli (nine goals, 17 points, plus-10) had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut at Dallas last March.

ABOUT THE STARS (23-19-4): Dallas GM Jim Nill said in a statement about Cogliano: “In acquiring Andrew, we are able to add an conscientious player who brings a veteran presence to our room. His explosive speed, 200-foot game and iron-man mentality will help our team both on and off the ice.” Center Tyler Seguin leads the team with 43 points, including six goals to go along with five assists in his last eight games. Captain Jamie Benn tops the team with 18 goals - three in his last six games - and defenseman John Klingberg is heating up with five points in four contests.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay C Brayden Point has a team-high 29 goals, three away from his career high set last season.

2. Former Tampa Bay F Erik Condra scored his first goal with Dallas on Saturday and is one point shy of 100 for his career.

3. The Lightning have won the last three meetings, including a 5-4 overtime triumph in Dallas last season.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Stars 2