Jonathan Toews' brief absence didn't make a difference in the
Chicago Blackhawks' first game after the All-Star break, but his
return certainly did in the latest.
The Dallas Stars head home hoping they can withstand the loss of a
key player and close the gap on the first-place Blackhawks as the
Central Division foes face off tonight
Dallas (33-14-5) has kept pace with the Blackhawks by winning its
first two out of the break, though Thursday's comeback victory at
Colorado was marred by Jason Spezza's upper-body injury that will
sideline the veteran center for at least a few games.
''I'm going to say it's more than a few days,'' coach Lindy Ruff
said following the Stars' 4-3 overtime win.
Spezza's 18 goals rank third among Dallas players and he's amassed
a team-leading 15 points over the last 15 games.
The Stars, winners of three straight and first in the NHL with 169
goals, still possess two of the league's top four scorers in Jamie
Benn and Tyler Seguin and one of its best offensive defenseman in
John Klingberg, whose goal 35 seconds into overtime capped Dallas'
comeback from a 3-2 deficit after two periods.
"I thought we fought through some adversity," Ruff said. "I thought
we could have got some calls (Thursday). It was a gutsy win."
Chicago (35-16-4) also displayed some resolve in Thursday's 5-4 win
at Arizona that maintained its three-point edge over the Stars. It
had a first-period goal waved off that drew an unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty from coach Joel Quenneville, which led to the
Coyotes scoring on the resulting power play, then blew a late
one-goal lead before Toews scored with 28.5 seconds left in
overtime.
Toews recorded his league-leading fifth overtime goal and scored
short-handed earlier in his return from a one-game suspension. The
Chicago captain was forced to sit out Tuesday's 2-1 win at Colorado
after skipping Sunday's All-Star Game with an illness.
"It's about getting opportunities," he said. "After you get a few
early in the season you feel confident in the situation. I'm glad
I've been able to cash in on situations like that.''
The Blackhawks' five goals equaled their total during a 2-3-0
stretch that followed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak
from Dec. 29-Jan. 19, a run that erased the Stars' 13-point lead in
the Central.
Dallas has had little trouble producing points in recent matchups
with Chicago, outscoring the Blackhawks 14-3 while winning the last
three - two by shutout. Spezza scored a power-play goal and
ex-Blackhawk Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 home
win Dec. 22, supporting 20 saves from former Chicago goaltender
Antti Niemi.
Niemi, part of the Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup champion team, has
posted shutouts in two of his last three meetings with Chicago and
is 7-2-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average in his past nine home
starts.
Corey Crawford improved to 11-2-0 with a 1.77 GAA since Jan. 3 with
24 saves against Arizona but has conversely struggled in this
series, having allowed 13 goals in Chicago's three straight defeats.
Dallas has won 11 of 14 at home and is 19-6-0 at American Airlines
Center.