StarPoints For 3/18 vs Philadelphia

1.)  Thursday’s game is the second matchup of the season between Dallas and Philadelphia. The Flyers won the first game on Jan. 12 by a score of 6-3 at the Wachovia Center, and will be making just their second trip to Dallas since 2003. The Stars have picked up points in six straight home games against Philadelphia, dating back to the 1997-98 season.
 
2.)  In Tuesday’s game against San Jose, the Stars scored eight goals, a season-high, and Brenden Morrow tied a career-high with four points (2g, 2a). Mike Ribeiro also scored four points (2g, 2a), Brad Richards had a goal and two assists, and Brandon Segal had his fourth multi-point outing in just his seventh game as a Star with a goal and an assist. Ribeiro and Morrow each scored while the team was on the penalty kill, giving the Stars two shorthanded goals in a game for the first time since Nov. 6, 2002.

3.)  Kari Lehtonen will get his second home start as a Dallas Star after stopping 45 of 47 San Jose shots on Tuesday. It was a big step forward for Lehtonen, who gave up six goals in his first start on March 6 at Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old Finn, who was sidelined for almost a year with a back injury, said that he feels much better now about the injury.

“It’s the best it’s been. I don’t know if it’s 100 percent. I think it needs a few more games, but it was a huge step in the right direction, and it was nice to see that I’m able to play at this level again,” Lehtonen said after Tuesday’s game.
 
4.)  Thursday’s game should be a very physical contest. Dallas has three players in the league’s top-10 in hits: Stephane Robidas (227), Steve Ott (211), and Morrow (206). Ott and Krystofer Barch each have over 100 penalty minutes this season, while Philadelphia’s Daniel Carcillo, Ian Laperriere, Scott Hartnell and Arron Asham are all over the century mark in PIMs.
 
5.)  One to watch for:  Jeff Carter is the Flyers’ leading scorer, with 33 goals and 26 assists in 69 games this season. Carter has 11 goals in his last 13 games, is his team’s best in the faceoff circle (51.8 percent) and has played in 283 consecutive games, but only four against the Stars. Carter and Mike Richards form a dangerous one-two center combination for Philadelphia.