The battle for placement in the Central Division takes center stage as two teams that are behind the pace will fight for important points. Dallas is 1-6-0 in games against Central opponents and faces a Chicago team that is 2-5-0. Oh yeah, and the two teams meet again Saturday in Dallas. This is a pretty important stretch of games for the Stars.
Key matchup
Patrick Kane vs. Stephen Johns: Kane might be one of the great Stars killers of all time. The leading scorer on the Blackhawks has 50 points (23 goal, 27 assists) in 40 career games against Dallas.