Kings at Stars preview

KINGS (18-25-4) at STARS (23-20-4)
8:30 p.m. ET; FS-SW, FS-W, NHL.TV

The Stars, who have lost three straight after going 5-1-1 in their previous seven games, have scored six goals in their past five. Center Jason Dickinson will return to the lineup after missing 11 games with a back injury; he has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 34 games this season.
Goalie Jack Campbell will start for the Kings, who are 2-4-1 in their past seven games after going 5-1-0 in their previous six games.
Campbell, 5-9-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and an NHL-leading .930 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts) this season, was selected by Dallas with the No. 11 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. This will be his first game against the Stars, who traded him to Los Angeles on June 25, 2016.

Players to watch

Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk has four points (one goal, three assists) in his past five games after having three points (two goals, one assist) in his previous 18 games.
Stars center Tyler Seguin has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his past nine games, including three two-goal games.

They said it

"It's not that he won't be there on that line again. It's just that maybe he'll be there tonight; maybe he won't." -- Kings coach Willie Desjardins on forward Ilya Kovalchuk, who played the previous five games on the top line
"Being able to take hits and not worry about it. Being able to go into corners, not have to think twice about it." -- Stars center Jason Dickinson on the final hurdle before returning to the lineup

Kings projected lineup

Carl Hagelin -- Anze Kopitar -- Dustin Brown
Alex Iafallo -- Jeff Carter -- Brendan Leipsic
Ilya Kovalchuk -- Adrian Kempe -- Tyler Toffoli
Kyle Clifford -- Nate Thompson -- Matt Luff
Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez
Dion Phaneuf -- Sean Walker
Jack Campbell
Jonathan Quick
Scratched:Paul LaDue, Austin Wagner
Injured:Trevor Lewis (foot), Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder), Oscar Fantenberg (undisclosed)

Stars projected lineup

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

Status report

Fantenberg had played 21 straight games. … To make room for Dickinson, the Stars sent forward Erik Condra to Texas of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Stat pack

Kopitar has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past six games. … Radulov has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his past seven games. … Bishop is 4-2-1 with a 2.42 GAA and .923 save percentage in his past seven starts.