Canucks Stars GDT

Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars have had some trouble holding onto leads over the past week. That has not been a problem for them at home against the Vancouver Canucks in recent years.

The slumping Stars look to continue their dominance against the Canucks at American Airlines Center when the teams meet Saturday night.

Dallas (42-26-5) is 1-4-0 in its last five games after winning its previous four, and has given up leads in two of its last three contests.



The Canucks, two points ahead of Nashville for eighth place in the Western Conference, have scored only one goal en route to losing their last two contests. Losing Mattias Ohlund for the rest of the regular season won't help.

Ohlund, Vancouver's top scoring defenseman with nine goals and 24 points in 53 games, had surgery Thursday to remove bone chips from his left knee. The Canucks, who also are missing defensemen Aaron Miller and Lukas Krajicek due to shoulder injuries, hope Ohlund will be back if they qualify for the playoffs.

Vancouver is coming off a 2-0 loss to Phoenix on Thursday night, getting shut out for the third time this season and first time since a 1-0 shootout loss to Edmonton on Nov. 14.

This is the final game of a four-game road trip for the Canucks, who have dropped four of their last five away from home.

Dallas, meanwhile, is beginning a three-game homestand. The Stars haven't allowed a power-play goal in their last three games at American Airlines Center, stopping all 12 of their opponents' chances, but lost the first two contests during that stretch before beating Colorado 3-0 on Sunday night.

The Stars led 3-1 with 6:18 left in the second period against league-leading Detroit on Thursday night, but lost 5-3. Last Saturday, they fell 3-1 to Colorado after scoring the game's first goal.

Turco started both of those games.

"We need to allow less chances, I need to make more stops and we need to put the pedal down with leads," he said. "All of us need to step it up in all areas and show some more desperation."

Turco has an excellent chance to rebound in this matchup with the Canucks (35-26-10). Dallas has won seven straight home games versus Vancouver since a 4-2 loss on March 17, 2003. Turco has started all of those contests, posting a 0.98 goals-against average and two shutouts.

The Stars extended that streak on Feb. 5, beating the Canucks 3-2 in a shootout. Turco denied Taylor Pyatt in Vancouver's chance in the sixth round, ensuring Dallas' victory.

Turco is 9-1-0 with a 1.34 GAA in 11 games at home all-time against the Canucks, and 15-3-1 with a 1.75 GAA in 20 games against them overall. He'll be facing a Vancouver team that has been struggling to find the back of the net this week.

Against the Red Wings, however, Dallas allowed more than four goals for just the eighth time this season. Dallas is in fourth place in the West, one point ahead of Anaheim.

The Stars are 2-1-0 against the Canucks this season.

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