Preview: Red Wings at Stars

RED WINGS (17-18-6) AT STARS (17-17-8)
8:30 p.m. ET; FS-SW+, FS-D, NHL.TV

Red Wings team scope

The Detroit Red Wings have lost two straight and are 0-for-15 on the power play since Dec. 27. "When your power play isn't going, then your penalty kill has to be great," coach Jeff Blashill said. "Ultimately I said at the beginning of the year we are going to need top-10 specialty teams to be where we want at the end of the year." The Red Wings, who have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 25 consecutive seasons, are last in the Atlantic Division with 40 points, one behind the Buffalo Sabres. "We're going to have to go on some kind of run here and avoid any kind of negative run," Blashill said. "It's just a matter of getting points as much as you can." Goalie Petr Mrazek will start after making 39 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Stars team scope

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn will return to the lineup after missing four games because of a foot injury sustained against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 31. "I felt good the last couple days skating on my own," Benn said. "It was tough. It was different, I haven't missed a game for a while. So I learned a thing or two watching from up top." Benn is second on the Stars with 34 points and Dallas went 1-2-1 his absence. Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak will miss at least a couple of weeks after injuring his hand during a 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, according to coach Lindy Ruff. Defenseman Stephen Johns will play for the first time since Jan. 4 and the second time since sustaining a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 20. "Trying to stay in the lineup," Johns said. "In my shoes it's more of a defensive game. I've got to stay on the right side of guys and do what I get paid to do and that's be physical and shut those guys down." Goalie Antti Niemi will start after making 36 saves against the Ducks.

Red Wings projected lineup

Gustav Nyquist -- Henrik Zetterberg -- Anthony Mantha
Andreas Athanasiou -- Frans Nielsen -- Thomas Vanek
Tomas Tatar -- Dylan Larkin -- Justin Abdelkader
Drew Miller -- Riley Sheahan -- Luke Glendening
Danny DeKeyser -- Mike Green
Jonathan Ericsson -- Alexei Marchenko
Xavier Ouellet -- Nick Jensen
Petr Mrazek
Jared Coreau
Scratched:Ryan Sproul, Tomas Jurco, Steve Ott
Injured:Darren Helm (shoulder), Niklas Kronwall (lower body), Brendan Smith (knee), Jimmy Howard (knee)

Stars projected lineup

Jamie Benn -- Jason Spezza -- Tyler Seguin
Antoine Roussel -- Cody Eakin -- Patrick Eaves
Jiri Hudler -- Radek Faksa -- Patrick Sharp
Lauri Korpikoski -- Devin Shore -- Brett Ritchie
Esa Lindell -- John Klingberg
Johnny Oduya -- Stephen Johns
Dan Hamhuis -- Jordie Benn
Kari Lehtonen
Antti Niemi
Scratched:Curtis McKenzie, Adam Cracknell
Injured:Mattias Janmark (knee), Ales Hemsky (hip), Jamie Oleksiak (hand)

Status report

Eaves left the game Tuesday with an undisclosed injury but will be in the lineup. … Detroit held an optional morning skate.

Who's hot

Athanasiou has six points during a three-game point streak. … Sharp has four points in his part four games since returning from a concussion. … Seguin has nine points in his past eight games.