Tampa Bay Lightning (10-3-1, first in the Central Division) vs. Dallas Stars (5-3-4, sixth in the Central Division)
Dallas; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas hosts Tampa Bay looking to break its four-game home skid.
The Stars are 5-3-4 in division matchups. Dallas has scored 40 goals and ranks ninth in the NHL averaging 3.3 per game. Joe Pavelski leads the team with nine.
The Lightning are 10-3-1 against the rest of their division. Tampa Bay is first in the Nhl with 6.8 assists per game, led by Gemel Smith averaging 1.5.
The teams meet Thursday for the first time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pavelski has 17 total points for the Stars, nine goals and eight assists. Denis Gurianov has seven assists over the last 10 games for Dallas.
Brayden Point leads the Lightning with 16 points, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists. Victor Hedman has 10 points over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
LAST 10 GAMES: Stars: 3-3-4, averaging three goals, 5.2 assists, 4.2 penalties and 8.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game with a .895 save percentage.
Lightning: 7-2-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 4.9 penalties and 12.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game with a .924 save percentage.
INJURIES: Stars: Roope Hintz: day to day (lower body).
Lightning: Anthony Cirelli: out (upper body), Mitchell Stephens: out (knee).
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