The Dallas Stars look for their third straight win when they host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
The streaky Stars started with three wins, then dropped four straight before winning their last two.
Washington had won six of seven before suffering its worst loss of the season, 7-1, to the visiting Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
The Capitals will be without their second-leading points scorer, center Dylan Strome (two goals, eight assists), who left the game with a lower-body injury in the first period and is considered day-to-day.
The visiting Stars rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Sunday after a 3-2 comeback win against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
Mikko Rantanen’s power-play goal midway through the third period was the game-winner Sunday.
“Sticking with it,” said Rantanen, who has four points (one goal, three assists) in his past three games. “The last two games, our last 40 minutes, have been good. Obviously, we would like to start a little bit better. We’ll try to work on that, but overall, a pretty good last two periods. Earned the win.”
Oskar Back and Wyatt Johnston also scored, Jason Robertson had two assists, and Casey DeSmith made 23 saves for Dallas. It was Back’s season debut after he missed the first eight games with an undisclosed injury.
“The guys stayed with it,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “It’s not easy to win on the road being down two, and it’s not easy to win period being down two. Not a great recipe, but you’ll take it.”
Forward Roope Hintz did not play because of an upper-body injury.
Goalie Jake Oettinger (4-2-1 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .899 save percentage) is 5-0-0 with a 1.49 goals-against average (GAA) and .952 save percentage in six career games versus Washington.
Trevor van Riemsdyk scored Washington’s only goal in the loss to Ottawa. The Capitals were unable to generate sustained offense and were outshot 34-13. Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves.
“Disappointing,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “We were not good in any facet of the game, right from puck drop. … Not good enough. Embarrassing performance at home from our group.”
Alex Ovechkin became the eighth player in NHL history to play 1,500 games with one franchise. He had one shot on goal and remains one goal away from becoming the first player to reach 900 in the NHL.
Washington trailed 5-0 in the third period before van Riemsdyk got the Capitals on the board.
“Give them credit. They worked hard, they were good in their battles, they tracked hard, they took time and space away, and we didn’t,” Washington’s Tom Wilson said. “We just didn’t have the legs to tilt the ice at any point throughout the game, and it ends up pretty lopsided and not good enough.”
Goalie Logan Thompson (5-1-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .938 save percentage) will likely start for the Capitals. He is 1-1-1 with a 2.00 GAA and .929 save percentage in three games against the Stars.
Washington recalled forward Ethen Frank from Hershey of the American Hockey League.
