Preview: Red Wings host Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars head to Detroit to end Eastern Conference road trip

Dallas Stars' Alex Chiasson (12) is congratulated by Shawn Horcoff (10) and the rest of the bench following his goal against the Washington Capitals in the second period of an NHL hockey game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DETROIT – The Dallas Stars' journey through the Eastern Conference has been a fruitful one to date.

The Stars look to end the stretch on a winning note Thursday night as they face off against the host Detroit Red Wings. The Stars are 3-1-0 in their last four road games - all against East opponents - but will be in tough against a Red Wings team aiming to bounce back after ending a 3-1-0 road trip with a disappointing 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets.

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While offseason acquisition Tyler Seguin has generated most of the buzz in Dallas - particularly after scoring in the shootout against his former Boston teammates in Tuesday's 3-2 win - it's captain Jamie Benn that has contributed most to the Stars' recent success. Benn scored in regulation against the Bruins and had the shootout winner in Sunday's 4-3 win over Ottawa. The Red Wings are led by Pavel Datsyuk and captain Henrik Zetterberg, who have combined for 31 points.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSSW (Dallas), FSD (Detroit)

ABOUT THE STARS (7-6-2): Seguin faced plenty of hostility in his return to Boston, but put it behind him as Dallas escaped with a satisfying two points. Seguin admitted it felt good to win in Beantown, but was more preoccupied with improving his game after being singled out by coach Lindy Ruff.

"I wanted to be better on the faceoffs and just be a better centerman out there," he said after the game. "I thought I played pretty solid ... our line was plus against a pretty good hockey team."

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (9-5-2): A position crunch in Detroit forced the Red Wings to place forward Jordin Tootoo on waivers. General manager Ken Holland said Tootoo would be assigned to the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids if unclaimed, allowing the Red Wings to free up nearly $1 million in cap space.

"This is the situation here -- we have too many right wingers," coach Mike Babcock said. "We're not giving him a fair opportunity. He's done nothing wrong."

OVERTIME

1. Detroit has won six of the previous seven meetings, including two of three last season.

2. Benn has two goals and eight assists in 12 career games versus the Red Wings.

3. Dallas hits the road yet again following Saturday's game against Chicago, traveling to Western Canada for games against the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.