The Dallas Stars still have their playoff destiny in their hands and will look to improve upon their record Thursday when they host the visiting Vancouver Canucks at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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Via ESPN:
Vancouver will try to extend its point streak in Dallas to seven Thursday night when the Stars go for a season-best third straight home win with Kari Lehtonen back in net.
Playing their third game in four days, the Canucks (24-12-7) fell to 2-1-1 on their five-game trip with Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to St. Louis. It was Vancouver's fewest goals in eight games.
"It was exactly what I think everybody expected, a tough game, a hard-fought game," coach Alain Vigneault said. "St. Louis came real hard at us and I thought for the most part we responded the way we were supposed to."
The Canucks, up four points on second-place Minnesota in the division, will now try to respond in Dallas, where they are 5-0-1 in six visits following a 4-3 victory Feb. 21. Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows, Jason Garrison and Henrik Sedin scored against Cristopher Nilstorp, who was starting in place of Lehtonen after the veteran suffered a groin injury six days earlier in a 4-3 win at Vancouver.
Vancouver will get its second look at Lehtonen this season after Stars coach Glen Gulutzan announced Wednesday that he would start after missing three games with a lower-body injury.
Richard Bachman, who started the three games after Lehtonen was injured against Los Angeles on April 9, will serve as a backup now with Nilstorp getting sent down to AHL Texas on Tuesday.
"Hopefully it was good to get all that time off," said Lehtonen, 0-3-0 with a 3.85 goals-against average in his last five home starts. "We have a few games left here, so I'm even more excited now to play. We're in a good spot and trying to climb into the playoffs."
