Stars try to fuel their engine as fading Oilers come calling

Oilers at Stars

6 p.m. Saturday, American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW Plus

Radio: KTCK/1310 AM and 96.7 FM

Records: Oilers 9-8-1, 19 points; Stars 7-6-5, 18 pts.

About the Oilers: After a stunning 7-1 start, Edmonton has hit the skids, losing eight of its last 10 and five in a row. Even so, the Oilers are only two points behind Pacific-leading Anaheim. Thursday’s 4-2 pounding in Los Angeles was typical of the current slump, giving up two first-period scores and not having enough offense to claw back. Young stud Connor McDavid leads the team with 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists) but hasn’t found the net in his last 10 games. The Oilers close a three-game road swing with Saturday’s stop in Dallas.

About the Stars: Dallas got off to a hot start Thursday against Colorado, scoring a trio of first-period goals, then held on for dear life in a 3-2 thriller at home. Goalie Kari Lehtonen drew the spotlight by stopping 34 Avalanche shots, including a late glove save off Colorado’s second-best scorer Nathan MacKinnon, to preserve the win and snap a run of back-to-back overtime heartbreaks. The Stars need to make hay in this stretch of home games to better position themselves in the Central Division, where they are as many points away from first place as last place.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Stars try to fuel their engine as fading Oilers come calling."