Dallas @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2017 ) Dallas 1, Carolina 5

The Dallas Stars have fallen out of third place in the Central Division thanks in part to a less-than-successful road trip. They hope to end the five-game trek on a high note when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

Dallas dropped to 1-2-1 on its trip after being blanked 6-0 at Tampa Bay on Thursday, a setback that - coupled with St. Louis posting its eighth straight victory - pushed the club into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Stars captain Jamie Benn remains in search of his 20th goal of the season as he enters Saturday with a seven-game drought. Carolina returned home from a 4-1-0 road trip to record a 3-1 triumph over Edmonton on Friday. Nino Niederreiter scored twice in what was the seventh win in nine overall contests for the Hurricanes, who trail Pittsburgh by one point for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE STARS (29-23-5): Defenseman John Klingberg will be in the lineup Saturday, according to The Athletic, after x-rays came back negative on an undisclosed injury that forced him out of Thursday's game. The 26-year-old Swede has recorded seven goals and 20 assists in 39 games this season, with three of his tallies being game-winners. Joel L'Esperance, a 23-year-old center, could make his NHL debut against Carolina after being recalled Friday from AHL Texas, where he recorded 27 goals and 42 points in 49 games.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (30-22-6): Sebastian Aho notched a pair of assists against the Oilers to increase his team-leading point total to a career-high 66. The 21-year-old Finn, who registered 65 points in 78 games last season, has collected three goals and 12 assists over his last 11 contests. Captain Justin Williams also set up two scores Friday, giving him 10 points in as many games.

OVERTIME

1. To make room for L'Esperance, the Stars assigned RW Denis Gurianov to Texas.

2. Niederreiter has recorded eight goals in 12 contests since being acquired from Minnesota.

3. Dallas LW Blake Comeau (upper body) is likely to return to the lineup after missing Thursday's game.

PREDICTION: Stars 4, Hurricanes 2