'It's excitement': Cogliano welcomes fresh start with Stars

Andrew Cogliano knew something was brewing when he got up Monday morning to see that he had a call from Anaheim GM Bob Murray on his phone.
"He wasn't calling to say good game last night," Cogliano said.
The Ducks had lost their 11th straight game in Winnipeg the night before, and Cogliano had the sense with the team mired in a long losing streak changes were on the horizon. And Monday, the Ducks did make a change, dealing Cogliano to Dallas in exchange for forward Devin Shore.
"I think I could have used the change to be honest," Cogliano said. "It was a situation in Anaheim where you kind of feel it a little bit, we were losing a bunch of games and it was a situation where guys were going to be moved. I was the first."

And now Dallas offers a fresh start for the speedy, versatile 31-year-old forward with 912 games of NHL experience with both Anaheim and Edmonton.
"A lot runs through your mind right off the bat when you are trying to figure out a lot of stuff because it is brand new," Cogliano said of the trade. "But then after everything settles, it's excitement, and you are looking forward to it. It's an opportunity to go somewhere else, a team that wanted you. That's what I am looking forward to."

Cogliano, who went to the Western Conference Final twice with the Ducks, said he's been around long enough to know that he is just one piece of the puzzle, so he wants to get acclimated to his new team as quickly as possible and try to help push the Stars forward.
"I think it's been good that I've been on a winning team, I think that experience helps me with other guys and a new team," Cogliano said. "I bring a speed aspect, and I try to compete every night. I've based my career on hard work and having a work ethic, competing every night and showing up for work and doing things the right way.
"That's what I am going to try to continue and bring here."
Cogliano, who has eleven points (three goals, eight assists) in 46 games this season, will play left wing tonight on a line with center Jason Spezza and right wing Erik Condra.
"Adds pace to us," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said of Cogliano. "Someone who fits well with how we want to play just because of his speed and tenacity on pucks."
Cogliano is expected to see time on the penalty kill as well.

As for the other forward lines, the top trio of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov stays intact as does the line of Blake Comeau, Radek Faksa, and Tyler Pitlick. Roope Hintz will center the fourth line with Mattias Janmark and Valeri Nichushkin on the wings. Brett Ritchie is the scratch at forward.
Also, the Stars assigned forward Michael Mersch back to the AHL this morning. Mersch was recalled yesterday just in case either Seguin or Radulov, who both missed Monday's practice, were unable to play.
There will be no changes on defense. Tonight's pairs are expected to be: Esa Lindell-John Klingberg; Miro Heiskanen-Roman Polak; Julius Honka-Taylor Fedun. Connor Carrick will be the scratch on defense.
Anton Khudobin will get the start in goal.
The Stars (23-19-4) come into tonight's game with two straight losses and three in their last four games. They are taking on the best team in the league tonight in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montgomery was asked if it was easy to get motivated for a team like Tampa Bay.
"Yeah," Montgomery said. "Fear is a wonderful motivator."

Opposition watch: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning (35-9-2) are coming off a 5-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Sunday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lightning, who have dropped just two games in regulation over their last 21 (18-2-1).
Tampa Bay lost defenseman Victor Hedman to an upper-body injury in Sunday's game when he collided with an official, but Hedman is expected to play tonight.
Andrei Vasilevskiy will be the starter in net for Tampa Bay.

Stat pack

• The Stars are 14-6-2 at home.
• The Lightning are 16-5-2 on the road.
• The Stars are 9-10-2 against the Eastern Conference.
• Tampa Bay is 11-6-2 against the Western Conference.
• The Lightning lead the league in goal scoring at 4.04 per game.
• The Stars rank fifth in goals against at 2.65 per game.
• Tampa Bay ranks first on the power play at 29.9 percent.
• The Stars rank ninth on the penalty kill at 82.6 percent.
• The Stars rank 11th on the power play at 21.6 percent.
• The Lightning rank seventh on the penalty kill at 83.0 percent.
• Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL in scoring with 75 points (22 goals, 53 assists).
• Tyler Seguin leads the Stars in scoring with 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists).

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Tonight's game

Who: Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars
Where:American Airlines Center
When:7:30 p.m.
TV:Fox Sports Southwest
Radio:The Ticket 1310-AM/96.7-FM

Stars projected lineup

Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov
Andrew Cogliano - Jason Spezza - Erik Condra
Blake Comeau - Radek Faksa - Tyler Pitlick
Mattias Janmark - Roope Hintz - Valeri Nichushkin
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Miro Heiskanen - Roman Polak
Julius Honka - Taylor Fedun
Anton Khudobin
Ben Bishop
Scratched:Connor Carrick, Brett Ritchie
Injured: Jason Dickinson (back), Martin Hanzal (back), Marc Methot (knee), Stephen Johns (post-traumatic headaches)

Lightning projected lineup

Ondrej Palat - Steven Stamkos - Yanni Gourde
Tyler Johnson - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Mathieu Joseph - Anthony Cirelli - Alex Killorn
J.T. Miller - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Victor Hedman - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Louis Domingue
Scratched:Adam Erne, Erik Cernak, Danick Martel
Injured:None
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mark Stepneski has covered the Stars for DallasStars.com since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.