Stars GameDay: Stars face another test as NHL-leading Capitals come to town

Capitals at Stars

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

TV: FSSW Radio: KTCK/1310 AM and 96.7 FM

Records: Capitals 40-9-4, 84 points; Stars 35-15-5, 75 pts.

About the Captials: Washington is coming off Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild and has won five straight. The Capitals lead the NHL with 84 points, eight points ahead of Chicago and nine up on Dallas. … The Capitals expect forward Evgeny Kuznetsov to play. He left Thursday’s game in the third period after being hit in the head after a faceoff. The team said in a statement Friday that Kuznetsov passed the league’s concussion protocol. Kuznetsov is fifth in the NHL with 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists). … The Capitals have 20 wins at home and 20 on the road. …They are averaging an NHL-best 3.30 goals a game as they wrap up a three-game road trip.

About the Stars: Dallas, which averages 3.25 goals a game, has won five of its past six and is coming off Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks. The victory moved the Stars (75 points) within a point of Chicago in the conference standings. … Patrick Eaves led the Stars’ surge Thursday with a hat trick in the first period, the second three-goal game of his career. … Defenseman John Klingberg also scored Thursday and has four goals in the past five games. … Dallas beat Washington 3-2 on Nov. 19, with forward Jason Spezza scoring the game-winner. Tyler Seguin and Cody Eakin also scored. … Defenseman Jason Demers, who missed Thursday’s game with an illness, could return to the lineup, but Dallas will be without forward Travis Moen, who left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury.

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Stars GameDay: Stars face another test as NHL-leading Capitals come to town."