Minnesota @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2018 ) Dallas 2, Minnesota 1

The Dallas Stars may have a decided advantage when they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday simply because they have played recently. Dallas emerged from a combined NHLPA-mandated/All-Star break that lasted 10 days and got their legs back with a 1-0 victory over Buffalo on Wednesday while Minnesota, which leads the Stars by one point for third place in the Central Division, hasn't played since Jan. 23.

Dallas continues to struggle offensively with 14 goals in its last nine games but has allowed only 18 while going 4-5-0 during that span. "If we keep playing good defense, we're going to get offense," Stars coach Jim Montgomery told reporters. "And that's got to be our identity moving forward." The Wild entered their break riding a three-game winning streak after a 5-2 victory at Colorado, which sits three points behind Minnesota. The clubs split the first two of five meetings this season with the road team winning each time as Wild goaltender Devin Dubnyk went 1-0-1 and stopped 58 of 61 shots, improving to 8-8-3 with a .912 save percentage versus Dallas.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE WILD (26-21-3): Zach Parise entered the break on a three-game point streak and leads the team with 44 points while on pace to record his most since registering 82 in 2009-10. Mikael Granlund (41 points) recorded two assists versus Colorado after being held off the scoresheet in his previous eight games. The break perhaps came at the wrong time for Eric Staal (36 points), who recorded four goals and five assists in his last six contests.

ABOUT THE STARS (25-21-4): Captain Jamie Benn (35 points) scored his team-leading 19th goal Wednesday and recorded three goals and one assist in nine January games. Tyler Seguin has a club-most 45 points while his goal and an assist against Winnipeg on Jan. 19 were his only contributions to the scoresheet in the past five contests since recording six goals and three assists in the first five January games. Ben Bishop (17-12-2, 2.29 goals-against average, .924 save percentage) didn't let the break affect him by posting his third shutout of the season Wednesday and is 3-4-0, 1.82, .936 versus Minnesota.

OVERTIME

1. The Wild yielded a power-play goal in each of their last three contests after a five-game stretch in which they killed 17-of-18 penalties.

2. Dallas D Jamie Oleksiak began his second stint with the club on Wednesday after being acquired from Pittsburgh and was a plus-1 with two shots, two hits and two blocked shots in 13 minutes, 3 seconds of ice time.

3. Dallas has won 26 of the last 34 meetings at home.

PREDICTION: Stars 3, Wild 2