The Dallas Stars open a five-game homestand after losing back-to-back road games last weekend. "It's a results-based business, right?" forward Brett Ritchie said. "I think we've played well, but none of that really matters if we continue to play well but not get the job done." Goalie Antti Niemi will make his first start since Dec. 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kari Lehtonen started the past five games for the Stars, the longest stretch either goalie has had this season. "Just a good start, it's the same as always," Niemi said. "It's just another game, but I guess the start is more important." Jiri Hudler will play back-to-back games after returning to the lineup in a 3-1 loss at the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. This will be Hudler's sixth game of the season; he missed 24 while battling a viral illness. "I felt pretty good the first two periods [in Chicago], I got hit hard two, three times which was good," Hudler said. "You always worried when you don't play a long time … just going to go out there, be responsible and play my game." Curtis McKenzie lis expected to be a healthy scratch after putting up four points in his past five games.
