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Stars-Flames Preview
Dallas Stars at Calgary Flames
- Dallas beat Edmonton, 4-1, last night -- its fourth straight and fifth win in the last six games overall. The Stars are 0-3-0 in the second of back-to-back games this season (worst in NHL).
- Calgary lost, 2-1, in a shootout with Minnesota on Monday and has now dropped two straight games overall. The Flames are just 1-3-2 at home this season -- worst of any Western Conference team.
- Dallas won three of four meetings with Calgary last season, with two of those victories coming in overtime or a shootout. Dating to the beginning of the 2006-07 campaign, these two clubs have played 24 times and each has won 12 of those tilts.
- Including last night's victory, Kari Lehtonen is 5-0-0 with a 1.76 GAA and .940 save percentage in February. Lehtonen is just 1-3-0 with a 3.71 GAA and .855 save percentage in four career road games in Calgary.
- Jiri Hudler scored the Flames' lone marker on Monday and now has eight points (3g, 5a) in seven games this season. Hudler has lit the lamp in three straight games vs. the Stars, and has eight points (5g, 3a) since the beginning of 2010-11 against Dallas overall (seven games).
- Drafted by the Stars in 1995 with the 11th overall pick, Jarome Iginla will be playing in his 1199th career game tonight. Iginla currently has 517 career regular-season goals -- one shy of tying Dale Hawerchuk for No. 34 on the all-time list.
By JEFF BARTL
(AP) -- The Dallas Stars are on a roll, mainly due to solid goaltending and their recently stellar play on the road.
That may not bode well for a Calgary Flames team that's having trouble winning at home.
Dallas can win its fifth straight game by sending Calgary to its sixth loss in seven home games Wednesday night.
The Stars (7-5-1) earned a third straight road victory after Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves to lead his team to a 4-1 win at Edmonton on Tuesday night.
Lehtonen has a 1.77 goals-against average and .940 save percentage while winning his last five starts, including each during Dallas' four-game winning streak.
"We are just trying to play hard right now," Lehtonen said. "We know we are not the most skilled team out there with the biggest names. We are a hard-working club and everybody in this room feels we have a chance to win on any given night. We have done well the last few games here and hopefully we can keep it going."
It's unclear, though, if Lehtonen or Richard Bachman, who made 32 saves in a 2-0 loss to Phoenix on Feb. 2 in his only start, will get the nod as the Stars play their second game in as many nights.
Dallas is 1-14-2 in the second night of back-to-back sets since last season.
Jaromir Jagr's goal Tuesday extended his team lead to nine points while Ryan Garbutt, Brenden Dillon and Eric Nystrom also scored for Dallas.
"It's up to us how well we do," Jagr said. "I don't think we have the kind of team that can allow itself to play up-and-down hockey. We are a good cycling team and we have the goaltending."
Calgary is 5-1-2 in its last eight meetings with the Stars and 3-0-1 in the last four home matchups, but it is coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to Minnesota on Monday that dropped it to 1-3-2 at home this season.
Coach Bob Hartley switched up his lines after Saturday's 5-1 loss in Vancouver, most notably teaming captain Jarome Iginla with Jiri Hudler and rookie Ben Street for a good portion of Monday's contest.
Hudler scored, though Iginla, who was drafted 11th overall by Dallas in 1995 but was traded to Calgary before ever donning a Stars sweater, remained with only one goal.
"Our fans certainly deserved that win (Monday). We battled, but not as consistently as I would have liked," Hartley said. "It seems that we dominated some parts and they dominated us in some other parts."
Leland Irving played well in net, though, making 23 saves in his third straight start in place of Miikka Kiprusoff, who will be out at least two more weeks because of a sprained knee ligament.
He's 1-1-1 with a 2.62 GAA in four total appearances.
"Obviously we've got to win some games," Irving said. "At the end of the day it's a results-driven business and I'll do everything I can to prepare myself to give these guys a chance to win."
Hartley gave Irving a vote of confidence after Calgary claimed goaltender Joey MacDonald off waivers from Detroit on Monday.
"We're going to keep riding Leland," Hartley said. "He's building confidence."
Iginla had two assists to help overcome a pair of goals from Jamie Benn in Calgary's 5-4 victory March 26 in the most recent meeting.
Updated February 13, 2013
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