Vegas @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 26, 2019 ) Dallas 1, Vegas 4

Mark Stone is beginning to pay dividends for Vegas a few weeks after the major trade deadline deal and the productive right wing looks to keep it going when the Golden Knights visit the surging Dallas Stars on Friday night. Stone has scored in back-to-back games and owns five points in his last five outings while the Golden Knights are 6-1-0, averaging 3.7 goals, since his arrival from Ottawa on Feb. 25.

“I’m starting to settle in,” Stone told the Las Vegas Review. “It’s been pretty easy so far. Teammates have been really good with me. You almost get the feeling that you’ve been here for a lot longer than you have. Even though I’ve been here for two weeks, I’m starting to get a lot of familiarity.” Vegas has won four of the first five meetings between the franchises, including a pair of victories in 2018-19, and likely won’t have to face red-hot goalie Ben Bishop in the finale of the season series. Bishop broke the Stars’ franchise record with 230:53 of shutout hockey, besting Hall of Famer Ed Belfour’s mark in 2000, but left in the second period of Thursday’s 4-1 victory over Minnesota with a lower-body injury. Dallas moved into third place in the Central Division by a tiebreaker over St. Louis with its sixth victory in the last seven games Thursday and is five points clear of the ninth-place Wild in the Western Conference with a game in hand.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet360; AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain (Vegas), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (38-27-5): Vezina candidate Marc-Andre Fleury (34 wins) sat out the 6-3 loss at Calgary on Sunday and is expected to go after a sixth straight victory after allowing four goals during his five-game streak. Alex Tuch has a goal and three assists in the last two games and leads the team with 48 points - one better than fellow forward Jonathan Marchessault, who has five assists in his past six contests. Defenseman Shea Theodore continues adding to his career-high numbers (11 goals, 22 assists) with six points in his last six contests.

ABOUT THE STARS (37-28-5): Center Tyler Seguin has posted at least one assist in four straight games and leads the team with 65 points while right wing Alexander Radulov scored his fifth goal in four games Thursday - an empty-netter. Defenseman John Klingberg notched his 200th career assist Thursday and 22-year-old rookie forward Roope Hintz scored his third goal in two games to give him eight in 46 contests. Anton Khudobin came on to stop 14 of the 15 shots he faced Thursday to preserve the victory and will likely be between the pipes against the Golden Knights.

OVERTIME

1. Dallas D Ben Lovejoy has two assists and boasts a plus-6 rating in nine games since being acquired from New Jersey.

2. Vegas C Paul Stastny has 33 points in 40 games this season, including a goal and three assists in his last four outings.

3. Stars rookie RW Joel L’Esperance scored his first goal Thursday in his 11th NHL contest.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Stars 2