Carolina @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 16, 2019 ) Dallas 0, Carolina 3

Captain Jamie Benn broke out of a long scoring slump last time out and hopes to follow up the big night when his Dallas Stars resume their hunt for a Western Conference playoff spot Saturday against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Benn managed one goal in 14 games before scoring twice as Dallas, which holds the first wild-card spot, snapped a three-game slide with a 5-2 victory over red-hot St. Louis at home Thursday

“Hopefully, he’s back and he’s good for us,” Stars right wing Alexander Radulov told the Dallas Morning News of Benn. “Sometimes, things not going your way and we all get frustrated, but we’re just going to keep working. He showed everybody an example of that.” Benn, who reached 20 goals for the ninth time in 10 seasons Thursday with 21, and Dallas were blanked 3-0 at Carolina last Saturday and will need a big effort against the hard-charging Hurricanes - 10-3-1 in their last 14 contests. Carolina is one point behind Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after coughing up a two-goal lead and then rallying with two power-play tallies in the final 20 minutes - the winner from veteran forward Justin Williams - for a 4-3 victory at Florida on Thursday. “Got to give full marks for everyone who got on board in the third, but especially our top guys,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters. “(Williams), what a game. He gets banged up. He’s the catalyst for everything and everyone followed behind him and pulled it out.”

TV: 5 p.m. ET, FS Carolinas, FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (32-23-6): Williams finished with two goals and an assist against Florida to push his total to 13 points in 11 games this month and 41 on the season - third on the team. Sebastian Aho leads Carolina with 24 goals and 68 points - 17 of them coming in his last 14 contests - and Teuvo Teravainen had a pair of assists Thursday to increase his point total to 54, only 10 shy of his career high in 2017-18. Right wing Nino Niederreiter continues to pay dividends since being acquired from Minnesota for Victor Rask, posting 15 points in 15 games - eight in the past six.

ABOUT THE STARS (30-25-5): Center Tyler Seguin has scored in back-to-back games and boasts 12 of his team-leading 57 points in 10 games this month while reaching 26 goals for the sixth straight season. No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop (19-12-2, .924 save percentage) could make his return to the lineup Saturday after missing seven games with an upper-body injury after Anton Khudobin went 2-4-1 in his absence with a .914 SP. Defenseman Esa Lindell registered four points (one goal) in the last two games to push his season total 28 - one better than his previous career best set last season.

OVERTIME

1. Carolina’s veteran C Jordan Staal (concussion), out since Dec. 22, could return as early as Saturday.

2. Dallas is 1-of-17 with the man advantage the past seven games and allowed six power-play goals in the last six contests.

3. Hurricanes G Petr Mrazek, who shut out Dallas with 33 saves on Feb. 16, allowed six goals in his last four starts.

PREDICTION: Stars 4, Hurricanes 2