DALLAS -- Here are the projected lineups for today’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.
PENGUINS
Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - James Neal
Steve Sullivan - Jordan Staal - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Joe Vitale - Richard Park
Eric Tangradi - Craig Adams - Dustin Jeffrey
Paul Martin - Kris Letang
Brooks Orpik - Zbynek Michalek
Matt Niskanen - Deryk Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury
Brad Thiessen
Injuries: Arron Asham (upper body), Sidney Crosby (concussion), Brent Johnson (undisclosed), Tyler Kennedy (ankle)
Scratches: Ben Lovejoy
Notes: Tonight will mark the first game in Dallas for Neal since the Stars traded him to the Steel City last February along with Niskanen for fellow blueliner Alex Goligoski. Neal was a second-round pick of the Stars in 2005 and played in 224 games for them, registering 72 goals and 131 points during his two-plus seasons in Big D. Niskanen was a first-round pick of Dallas in 2005 and skated in 277 games for the Stars with 16 goals and 76 points during his three and a half seasons in the Lone Star State. These teams met in Pittsburgh on Nov. 11, 2011 with the Pens prevailing 3-1.
STARS
Loui Eriksson - Mike Ribeiro - Michael Ryder
Steve Ott - Jamie Benn - Adam Burish
Eric Nystrom - Vernon Fiddler - Radek Dvorak
Ryan Garbutt - Tom Wandell - Tomas Vincour
Sheldon Souray - Stephane Robidas
Trevor Daley - Mark Fistric
Alex Goligoski - Philip Larsen
Kari Lehtonen
Richard Bachman
Scratches: Adam Pardy, Toby Petersen
Injuries: Jake Dowell (finger), Brenden Morrow (upper body)
Notes: Dallas is currently on a four-game winning streak and hasn't lost since Feb. 19 against Nashville. One more victory and the Stars will equal their season-winning streak of five games, which was set back in Oct. 2011 as part of an 11-4-0 start. The Stars last played on Sunday, when they beat the Canucks in overtime, 3-2 to end a six-game losing streak against Vancouver. Tonight's game will mark the return of Benn, their All-Star center who has missed the last six games with a leg injury. Benn suffered a cut to the back of his leg in an overtime win over the Flames on Feb. 16. He will center Dallas' second line alongside Ott and Burish. First-line center Ribeiro is currently on a seven-game points streak, the longest by any Stars player this season.