ESPN

The Dallas Stars were knocked out of first place in the Pacific Division after losing 5-2 at Vancouver on Friday night. Los Angeles, a 4-1 winner at Edmonton, took over the top spot in the division. The Stars are now seventh in the Western Conference.

The Stars, who have lost five of their last eight games, play at ninth place San Jose Saturday. They lead the Sharks by one point.

Steve Ott and Jake Dowell scored for the Stars. Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 of 30 shots in 49:59 of playing time for the Stars. Richard Bachman played the final 10:01 and stopped three of four shots.

Cory Schneider stopped 28 of 30 for the Canucks, who won their fifth straight game.

First period

Both teams had some good chances early in the period, but the Canucks struck first at the 6:17 mark. Jannik Hansen got to a puck along the right boards and backhanded it to Chris Higgins, who beat Kari Lehtonen with a quick shot from the slot.

Roberto Luongo was expected to start for the Canucks, but Cory Schneider was announced as the starter just before game time. He was superb in the first period, making 13 saves. He had a couple of sharp saves on Jamie Benn along with good stops on Michael Ryder and Mike Ribeiro in the period.

Vancouver had the only power play of the period. The Stars had a 13-7 edge in shots.

Second period

The Stars tied the game at 3:16 of the second. After Jamie Benn put a shot on net off a faceoff, Steve Ott got to the rebound and slipped it past Cory Schneider to make it a 1-1 game.

After that it was a series of quality saves by Schneider and Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen.

Lehtonen had a save on Samuel Pahlsson and two on Chris Higgins. On the Canucks second power play of the game Schneider made a big shorthanded stop on Ott and then made a spectacular save on a shorthanded bid by Loui Eriksson. He made another shorthanded save on Vernon Fiddler on Vancouver’s third power play.

The Canucks took the lead on that third power play when Sami Salo’s blast from the right point went through traffic and past Lehtonen with 8:39 left in the period.

The Canucks made it 3:35 left in the second. Moments after Schneider stopped Jake Dowell, the Canucks went the other way and Henrik Sedin found defenseman Andrew Alberts, who scored off a blast from the left circle.

The Canucks outshot the Stars 20-13 in the second period and had a 27-26 advantage through two periods.

Third period

Reilly Smith got bumped up to a line with Benn and Ott to start the third, and Smith hit the post early in the period. But the Canucks scored twice in a 2:12 to blow the game open. Henrik Sedin set up Alex Burrow, who scored from close range a the 9:06 mark to make it a 4-1 game.

The Stars pulled Lehtonen in favor of Richard Bachman a short time later and the Canucks quickly scored to make it a 5-1 game when a wide open Max Lapierre scored from the slot at the 11:18 mark.

Jake Dowell scored late for the Stars to round out the scoring.

Stars lineup

Eriksson-Ribeiro-Ryder
Ott-Benn-Vincour
Morrow-Fiddler-Burish
Smith-Dowell-Garbutt

Souray-Robidas
Pardy-Daley
Goligoski-Larsen

Lehtonen (starter)
Bachman

Injured: Fistric (abdominal strain), Dvorak (ankle), Nystrom (leg)
Scratched: Petersen, Wandell, Jordie Benn

Here's the press release on individual playoff tickets for the Dallas Stars:

Dallas Stars individual playoff tickets for Home Games 1 and 2 of the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals will go on sale this Wednesday, April 4, at 10 am CDT.

Playoff tickets will be available online at DallasStars.com or by calling 214-GO-STARS.

Fans who would like to get a jump on the April 4 sale can sign up for a free exclusive presale at DallasStars.com -- just click on the gold Stanley Cup Playoff Ticket Banner on the home page.

The Stars’ playoff opponent, dates and times have yet to be determined and will be announced by the NHL on Sunday evening, April 8, once all of the match-ups have been set. The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 11. Stay tuned to DallasStars.com for the very latest on the playoff race with the Stars Playoff Race Tracker updated daily.

For more information on Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Playoff Tickets, please call 214-GO-STARS and speak with a ticket representative.

Tonight's Stars-Canucks game is on Fox Sports Southwest Plus. Here's the note from the Stars and FSSW about the coverage.

Tonight’s Dallas Stars game at the Vancouver Canucks will be on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.

FOX Sports Southwest Plus channel numbers in DFW market for Friday’s game:

Time Warner – Ch. 960 (requires digital box)
Charter Cable – Ch. 300
DirecTV – Ch. 677 (677-1 HD)
Dish – Ch. 448 (9518 HD)
U-Verse Ch. 754 (1754 HD)
Fios – Ch. 77 (577 HD)

The game will be available on FOX Sports Southwest Plus in markets carrying the Mavericks-Magic game on FOX Sports Southwest and the Grizzlies-Rockets game on FOX Sports Houston. Stars game will be on FOX Sports Southwest’s main channel in Central and South Texas (San Antonio Spurs markets) and Oklahoma since we aren’t televising Spurs or Thunder games on Friday. The game also will be joined in progress on FOX Sports Southwest’s main channel in the DFW area after the Mavericks postgame show.

There are just five games left in the regular season for the Dallas Stars and it kicks off tonight with the first game of a key back-to-back series. The Stars play at Vancouver tonight and then in San Jose tomorrow.

Right now the focus is on the Canucks. Picking up a win or a point will guarantee that the Stars stay on top of the Pacific Division and third in the West for another day.

“It’s kind of fun, it’s kind of nerve-racking, but the message in here – what we keep telling each other – is we control where we go,” Stars forward Adam Burish said. “We control whether we are going to make it or not, and that’s what you want this time of the year.”

The Stars have won two of three games the Canucks, who are the second seed in the West and are three points behind St. Louis in the race for first overall in the conference.

“It’s big. We want the points and we want to beat the Canucks,” said Burish. “The most important thing is finding ways to win games and not losing ground. You win a game you stay in third, you lose a game and you’re in eight, maybe ninth place every night. That’s just how it feels. It’s just controlling what we can, winning games.”

Mark Fistric (abdominal strain), Radek Dvorak (ankle) and Eric Nystrom (leg) are all out tonight. Only Fistric is skating.

Kari Lehtonen gets the start in goal for the Stars.

Roberto Luongo is expected to start in goal for the Canucks.

The Stars will go with basically the same lineup as last game, although it appears they’ll move Tomas Vincour up to the second line and put Burish on the third line. Here’s the Stars’ projected lineup.

Eriksson-Ribeiro-Ryder
Ott-Benn-Vincour
Morrow-Fiddler-Burish
Smith-Dowell-Garbutt

Souray-Robidas
Pardy-Daley
Goligoski-Larsen

Lehtonen

The San Jose Sharks started play on Wednesday as the third seed in the West. Just 24 hours later they were sitting on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. A 2-0 loss at Phoenix on Thursday night knocked the Sharks out of the top eight and moved the Coyotes back into a playoff spot.

Phoenix is now tied with the Stars at 89 points, but the Stars have the third seed because they have played one fewer game. Even if the games and points were the same, the Stars would still hold the third seed because they own the regulation/overtime wins tiebreaker.

The Stars have a big chance to enhance their chances Friday night in Vancouver. Get a win and they go two points up one Phoenix and three up on San Jose with four games to go. They'd stay at least one ahead of the Kings, who play at Edmonton. Don't get any points out of that Canucks game and then, well, there isn't much breathing room.

The Kings, as I mentioned, play at Edmonton on Friday.

The other big game in the West is Detroit at Nashville. Those two teams are in a fight for the fourth seed and home ice in the first round. Detroit has a one point lead over the Predators.

Here's a look at what at the race in the Pacific Division, including each teams' remaining schedule. After that, the Western Conference standings.

Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks
Friday March 30, 9:00 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Southwest Plus/NBC Sports Network
Radio: KTCK-1310 (AM)

About the Stars

The Stars (42-30-5) are coming off a 3-1 win at Edmonton on Wednesday. Michael Ryder scored two goals and added an assist, and Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves for the Stars, who took over first place in the Pacific Division after the win.

“We’re happy to take these two points and keep going,” Lehtonen said. “You never know what’s going to happen against the Oilers. Those guys have so much skill, and they’re fun to play against.”

Friday’s game in Vancouver opens the final back-to-back set of the season for the Stars. They play at San Jose on Saturday.

“It doesn’t get easier,” Gulutzan said. “Those are all points we have to claw, scrape or whatever we can do to get something out of those games.”

Lehtonen will start in goal Friday.

Injuries: LW Eric Nystrom (leg) and RW Radek Dvorak (ankle) and D Mark Fistric (abdominal strain) are out.

About the Canucks

The Canucks (47-21-9) won their fourth straight game, beating Colorado 1-0 in Vancouver on Wednesday. Cory Schneider made 43 saves

“They put a lot at the net from a lot of angles, everything they had they put at the net and that’s what a desperate team does,” Schneider said. “I thought we did a great job either blocking it or letting me see the puck and there were quite a few where I was just able to catch it and kill the play. The shots were lopsided but the actual quality chances, we did a good job eliminating those.”

It was the second straight 1-0 victory for the Canucks, who have allowed just three goals over the last four games. While the Canucks have tightened up things defensively, they struggled to score, tallying just eight goals over the last six games.

“We're happy where we are defensively and we're not giving up 3-on-2s and 2-on-1s. I know we're going to score goals eventually and that they're going to come,” said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin.

The Canucks are three points behind St. Louis for first overall in the Western Conference and have one game in hand.

Injuries: D Kevin Bieksa (undisclosed) is questionable. LW Daniel Sedin (concussion), D Aaron Rome (knee), D Keith Ballard (concussion), C Andrew Ebbett (collarbone) and C Aaron Volpatti (shoulder) are out.

Series notes

*This the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams.

*The Stars are 2-1-0 in the season series.

*The Canucks are 1-1-1 in the season series.

*February 26, at Dallas: Stars 3, Canucks 2 (OT)
March 6, at Vancouver: Stars 5, Canucks 2
March 22, at Dallas: Canucks 2, Stars 1

Statistical tidbits

*The Stars rank seventh in the NHL in road goals against at 2.58 per game.

*Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen is 14-7-2 with a 2.09 goals against average and .935 save percentage on the road this season.

*The Canucks have been outshot 81-47 over the last two games but have outscored their opposition 2-0.

*The Canucks have scored just eight goals over the last six games, but they’ve allowed only seven during the same stretch.

*Forward Chris Higgins has scored three of the Canucks’ last five goals.

*Vancouver is 1-20 on the power play over the last six games.

*Stars forward Michael Ryder has 30 points (18 goals, 12 assists) in 29 games since the All-Star break.

*Stars forward Mike Ribeiro has 30 points (8 goals, 22 assists) in 29 games since the All-Star break.

The Dallas Stars will continue to ride Kari Lehtonen as they head into a big back-to-back set of games at Vancouver (Friday) and at San Jose (Saturday).

"We're going to run with Kari here," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "There was a (discussion of using Richard Bachman because of back-to-backs), but Kari is feeling pretty good right now. ... He wants to play and we need at least three more wins, so we've got to find them anywhere we can."

It's not like Lehtonen has been overworked lately. Friday's game will be only his seventh straight start and his 10th in the last 12 games.

It doesn't look like Radek Dvorak (ankle), Eric Nystrom (leg) or Mark Fistric (abdominal strain) will be ready for Friday's game. Fistric, who has missed the last four games, has resumed skating.

Dallas Stars prospect Austin Smith is among the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the top player in college hockey. The three finalists were announced today. Smith, who wrapped up his college career at Colgate earlier this month, is now playing for the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Smith also was named the College Hockey News Player of the Year today. You can read the article on Smith here.

Here's the release on the three finalists for the Hobey Baker.

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation on Thursday announced the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists for the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are: Spencer Abbott, senior forward from the University of Maine; Jack Connolly, senior forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Austin Smith, senior forward from Colgate University.

The three finalists were selected from the initial list of Top Ten candidates by the 23-member Selection Committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

This year’s Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 6, 2012 from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL during the NCAA Frozen Four. The 32nd annual announcement will be aired live on the NHL Network at 6:00 p.m., ET, and at the Hobey website, www.hobeybakeraward.com. Here is more on this year’s three finalists:

Spencer Abbott – University of Maine, Senior, Forward, Hamilton, Ontario
From a recruited walk-on four years ago to a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, Spencer Abbott has had a remarkable four-year collegiate career. Already recognized as the Player of the Year in Hockey East as well as a First Team all-star, the Black Bear assistant captain leads the nation in scoring and in assists. In 39 games this season, Abbott scored 21 goals, assisted on another 41 for 62 total points. His unselfish scoring exploits earned him the conference scoring title and he was named player of the month twice while piling up 18 multiple-point games. Abbott is a Family Relations major and has been on the Dean’s List three times. Spencer is active in the community helping with Special Olympics, assisting at youth hockey clinics and participating in charity games. Abbott, a pro hockey free agent, just signed a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jack Connolly – University of Minnesota-Duluth, Senior, Forward, Duluth, Minnesota
A repeat Hobey top ten finalist, the Bulldog captain had a fantastic season winning the WCHA scoring title, being named a First Team all-star for the third straight season and capped it off as the league’s Player of the Year. A two-time All American, Connolly is second in the nation in points and assists accumulating 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 41 games. Duluth was the second highest scoring team in the nation this past season and Connolly never missed a college game, having played in 164 straight. He was held pointless in consecutive games only twice in his illustrious four-year career. The hometown hero is active in community endeavors helping with trash clean-up in the Adopt-A-Highway program, visiting Duluth hospitals, volunteering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and working with various cancer fund-raisers. He’s a Communications major with a 3.3 GPA. He is a pro hockey free agent. Hockey runs deep in the Connolly family as Jack’s older brother Chris, was the captain and second leading scorer for Boston University this past season.

Austin Smith – Colgate University, Senior, Forward, Dallas, Texas
Austin Smith completes the trifecta of Hobey scoring whizzes as the nation’s top sniper with 36 goals to go along with 21 assists for 57 total points, third best in the country. Dangerous at all times, Smith leads the nation in short-handed goals with six and scored seven power play goals as well. Winning the ECAC scoring title this past season, Smith was named the conference Player of the Year and a First Team all-star. Along the way, Smith scored 30 goals this season faster than any college player in the last 12 years and is currently third in the nation with a plus-25. A Sociology and Anthropology major, Smith helps out with the Hamilton, NY Food Cupboard, assists with food and toy drives during the season and is involved with the local Goals for Good program. He is a fifth round draft pick of the Dallas Stars.

Here's the release from the Stars:

EA Sports is giving fans the opportunity to shape the face of the world’s #1 hockey video game franchise – EA Sports NHL, by participating in the first-ever EA Sports NHL Cover Vote Campaign – presented by Blackberry and hosted on NHL.com.

A field of 60 players will be narrowed down to one. The winning player will be unveiled as the EA Sports NHL 13 Cover Athlete at the 2012 NHL Awards on June 20 in Las Vegas.

The Dallas Stars will be represented in the cover vote by Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson. The two will square off in round one of the vote, which begins TODAY (March 29th) and runs through April 11th.

Jordie Benn, Stars defenseman and older brother of Jamie, has volunteered to be his campaign manager: “I think all of the fans should vote for Jamie. He deserves it. Plus he offered me some incentives if I helped get him on the cover. I think it’s free dinner or something. Either way, help a brother out. Rather, help my brother out and go vote Jamie Benn for EA Sports NHL 13 cover man.”

Eriksson, representing himself, had some simple and direct words about the cover vote: “Vote for Loui. It’s an easy decision. Vote for me. Jamie takes too many penalties to be the cover man. Thanks for your support.”

Fans are encouraged to log on to NHL.COM/COVERVOTE to vote for Benn or Eriksson, as well as the 58 other NHL players competing in head-to-head battles.

It was another night of movement in the Western Conference standings. The Stars jumped from seventh to third, the Kings went from ninth to seventh, San Jose dropped from third to eighth and Phoenix slipped from eighth to ninth. In the middle of all that, the Kings were first in the Pacific for about five minutes.

The Kings got knocked out of the third spot when the Stars wrapped up their 3-1 win over Edmonton. That was a huge two points for the Stars, who needed to bounce back from the loss in Calgary on Monday. Still a tough road ahead with that back-to-back at Vancouver and at San Jose Friday and Saturday to close out the trip. The Stars need to find a way to get points out of those two games.

The Kings beat Calgary 3-0 Wednesday night. The Kings snapped a two-game losing streak and are now 7-2-0 over their last nine games. They close out their road trip with games at Edmonton and Minnesota.

The Sharks lost 2-1 at Anaheim. The Ducks won five of six against the Sharks this season. The Sharks are back at it Thursday night. They play at Phoenix. This kicks off a stretch that will see the Sharks play the rest of their games against teams battling for the Pacific Division title.

The Coyotes have been off the last three days and they ended up being one point behind both San Jose and Los Angeles and two points behind the Stars. It could have been worse from their perspective.

Colorado lost 1-0 at Vancouver. Huge loss for the Avalanche. They are two points out of a playoff spot and only have three games left to play. The teams they are chasing all have five. Their chances are very slim right now. Ditto for Calgary. The Flames are three back with four games left on their schedule.

It’s looking more and more like the four Pacific Division teams – Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose and Phoenix – are going to be fighting it out for those three playoff spots.

Dallas Stars forward Reilly Smith made his NHL debut Wednesday night in Edmonton. He didn’t see a lot of ice time, but that didn’t take away from the moment.

“I was just happy that my feet got under me as soon as I hopped over the bench,” Smith said. “I was definitely pretty nervous. I actually got a pretty good opportunity my shift. That settled the nerves a little bit. I am pretty happy with the way things went.”

He got off a shot on goal on his first shift Wednesday night, but his wrist shot from the slot was stopped by Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk.

Smith, who just wrapped up his college career at Miami University, signed an entry-level contract with the Stars on Sunday.

“It was definitely a little different from college,” said Smith. “In college everyone is running around, here there is definitely a lot more structure. There are a lot better players who can slow the game down. It was definitely a lot different, but hopefully I’ll be able to make a good transition to it.”

Smith, 20, played five shifts in the game for a total of 4:05 in ice time.

“He only played four minutes, but he looked pretty good out there,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “He got a shot early and the boys were calling goal right away when he got his shot. We’ll get him a little bit more ice time the next time we go, but it was good to get his feet wet tonight.”

A stellar outing from Kari Lehtonen and a productive night for the top line helped pushed the Dallas Stars back to the top of the Pacific Division on Wednesday night. Lehtonen made 31 saves and Michael Ryder, Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson combined for three goals and five assists as the Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, at Rexall Place.

The Stars now have a one point lead over both Los Angeles and San Jose in the division. They have a two point lead on Phoenix, which also holds the ninth place spot in the Western Conference. All four teams have five games remaining.

“We are in a battle for our lives and we need every point we can get,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “Getting two tonight was big for us.”

It was a strong bounced back effort for the Stars, who were coming off a 5-4 loss in Calgary on Monday night to open their four game road trip.

“The last game we kind of took the flow away from ourselves with some penalties and stuff like that. Tonight our PK was good and Lehts (Kari Lehtonen) was great again,” said Ryder. “It’s a matter of doing the little things right now and make sure we don’t make those key mistakes and sticking to the hard game plan.”

Lehtonen came up with several big stops in the game for the Stars, including early. He had a sharp save on Ben Eager and then stopped Nick Schultz on a shorthanded two-on-one to keep it scoreless game in the first period.

“He’s an elite goalie; he’s up there with the big guys,” said Gulutzan. “He’s one of the reasons we’re fighting for this division title and fighting for our lives to get into the playoffs. When you get goaltending like that every night it gives your guys confidence. He’s our MVP.”

Ryder got the Stars on the scoreboard 11:53 into the game, splitting two Edmonton defenseman and then beating Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk with a backhand shot.

The Stars extended the lead to 2-0 early in the second by cashing in on a two-on-one as Ribeiro finished off a give-and-go with Erikson.

Lehtonen came up with a huge save early in the third period, stopping a Jordan Eberle shorthanded breakaway to keep the Stars up 2-0.

“I had enough time to see who was coming and remember how he likes to deke on the penalty shots and breakaways,” Lehtonen said. “I had a feeling what might be coming, but he made that deke so fast I was lucky to get to get something there.”

Gulutzan’s thoughts on the save: “Huge. Huge. He’s been doing that all year. That’s why we are here.”

The Stars extended the lead to 3-0 a couple minutes later when Eriksson won a puck battle near the Edmonton goal line, got the puck to Ribeiro, who then quickly set up Ryder, who scored from close range.

Ryder ended the night with a two goals and an assist, Ribeiro had one goal and two assists and Eriksson chipped in two assists.

“We’ve been living and dying with that line for the last 15 games. They bounced back tonight. They were real sharp and made some real nice plays,” said Gulutzan. “Your big players have to be your best players in these games and they were tonight.”

The Oilers scored with 11:39 remaining when Ales Hemsky scored on a rebound. It came just moments after Lehtonen was stung by a high, hard shot off the stick of Ryan Smyth.

“It was a stinger up from the shot,” said Gulutzan. “I know he can play through those.”

The loss ended a seven game points streak for the Oilers.

“They didn’t do anything spectacular over there,” said Eberle. “The few mistakes we made they capitalized on. We just couldn’t find a way to battle back into a game that was important for us.”

Notes

*The Stars swept the season series from the Oilers, outscoring them 14-4 in the four games.

*The Stars are 14-5-0 against the Northwest Division this season.

*The Stars were 4-4 on the penalty kill in the game and 0-5 on the power play.

*Stars forward Reilly Smith made his NHL debut Wednesday. He played 4:05 and had one shot on goal.

*Radek Dvorak (ankle), Eric Nystrom (leg) and Mark Fistric (abdominal strain) were out for Dallas.

*Tom Wandell, Toby Petersen and Jordie Benn were healthy scratches.

Here are some postgame quotes following the Dallas Stars 3-1 win in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan

“We are in a battle for our lives and we need every point we can get. Getting two tonight was big for us.”

“We were a little shaky early and Lehts (Kari Lehtonen) was solid and made some real big saves. I thought we got our legs and made some nice plays, but it was a tough game.”

Gulutzan on Kari Lehtonen, who made 31 saves

“He’s an elite goalie; he’s up there with the big guys. He’s one of the reasons we’re fighting for this division title and fighting for our lives to get into the playoffs. When you get goaltending like that every night it gives your guys confidence. He’s our MVP.”

Stars forward Michael Ryder

“The last game we kind of took the flow away from ourselves with some penalties and stuff like that. Tonight our PK was good and Lehts (Kari Lehtonen) was great again. It’s a matter of doing the little things right now and make sure we don’t make those key mistakes and sticking to the hard game plan.”

Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen on his save on Jordan Eberle’s shorthanded breakaway

“I had enough time to see who was coming and remember how he likes to deke on the penalty shots and breakaways. I had a feeling what might be coming, but he made that deke so fast I was lucky to get to get something there.”

Stars forward Reilly Smith on his NHL debut

“I was just happy that my feet got under me as soon as I hopped over the bench. I was definitely pretty nervous. I actually got a pretty good opportunity my shift. That settled the nerves a little bit. I am pretty happy with the way things went.”

Oilers coach Tom Renney

“We felt right into the trap. They played a good road game and we tried to do some extraordinary things, we turned the puck over and they scored. We weren’t very good in our own end defensively and that includes the forecheck.”

Michael Ryder scored two goals and had one assist to lead the Dallas Stars to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.

The victory moved the Stars into first place in the Pacific Division.

Ryder’s goals were his 34th and 35 of the season. Mike Ribeiro had one goal and two assists for the Stars and Loui Eriksson chipped in two assists. Kari Lehtonen stopped 31 of 32 shots.

Stars forward Reilly Smith made his NHL debut in the game. He played 4:05 and one shot on goal.

First period

The Stars had the first power play chance of the game, but the Oilers had the best scoring chance on a two-on-one. Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen came up with a big save, stopping Nick Schultz’s close range bid.

The Stars took the lead on a goal by Michael Ryder, who split two Oilers defensemen off the rush and beat Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk with a backhand shot at the 11:53 mark.

Lehtonen came up with another big save later in the period, stopping a close range bid by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Stars forward Reilly Smith, who was making his NHL debut in the game, had a shot on his first shift. He played 2:37 in the period.

The Stars were 0-2 on the power play and the Oilers had no power play chances.

Dallas had a 13-12 shots advantage.

Second period

The Stars extended their lead to 2-0 when Mike Ribeiro finished off a give-and-go with Loui Eriksson on a two-on-one rush at 5:05 of the second.

The Oilers got their first power play of the night eight minutes into the second, but Kari Lehtonen came up with sharp saves on Jeff Petry and Ales Hemsky to keep Edmonton off the board.

The Oilers got a second power play later in the period, but weren’t able to generate any shots.

The Stars came close to making it a 3-0 game, but Michael Ryder’s breakaway bid late in the period was turned away by Devan Dubnyk.

Third period

The Stars opened the period with a power play, but the Oilers had the best scoring chance. Jordan Eberle had a breakaway, but his backhand shot was turned way to keep the Stars up 2-0 in the game.

Dallas made it 3-0 at the 4:11 mark when Loui Eriksson won a puck battle behind the Edmonton goal line, sent it to Ribeiro, who then set up Ryder, who scored his second of the night from close range.

The Oilers finally got on the board with 11:39 left in the game when Ales Hemsky scored off a rebound to make it a 3-1 game.

Stars lineup

Eriksson-Ribeiro-Ryder
Ott-Benn-Burish
Morrow-Fiddler-Vincour
Garbutt-Dowell-Smith

Souray-Robidas
Pardy-Daley
Goligoski-Larsen

Lehtonen (starter)
Bachman

Injured: Dvorak (ankle), Nystrom (leg), Fistric (abdominal strain)
Scratched: Wandell, Petersen, Jordie Benn

Reilly Smith, signed to an entry-level contract on Sunday, will make his NHL debut tonight when the Dallas Stars take on the Oilers in Edmonton. Smith is expected to start the game on the fourth line.

“I’m just trying to get my feet wet, try to bring as much energy as I can,” Smith said. “Try not to turn the puck over too much and get it deep. Just try to limit my speed and limit turnovers.”

When it was pointed out to Smith that he is a goal scorer, the 20-year-old winger had this to say.

“I am not going to pass up shots for sure,” Smith said. “If I get the opportunity I am going to use the assets I have. If that comes around that’s great, but first of all I want to make sure I am not a liability on defense.”

Smith is expected to open the game on a line with Ryan Garbutt and Tom Wandell.

“I think we just start him and see how he goes, let him get the jitters out and then let the game dictate how you use him and let his play dictate how you use him,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “We have no big visions of grandeur. We want to get him in, get him accustomed and see how he goes."

Radek Dvorak (ankle), Erik Nystrom (leg) and Mark Fistric (abdominal strain) are all out tonight. Dvorak and Nystrom are day-to-day and are doubtful for Friday. Fistric is not expected to play on the road trip.

Here’s the projected Dallas lineup for tonight.

Eriksson-Ribeiro-Ryder
Ott-Benn-Burish
Morrow-Fiddler-Vincour
Garbutt-Wandell-Smith

Souray-Robidas
Pardy-Daley
Goligoski-Larsen

Lehtonen