Stars 4, Ducks 2.
The Ducks nearly rallied to erase a 3-0 deficit, before watching Steve Ott score into an empty net with 9 seconds left.
While the crowd was treated to a tense third period -- in which Marty Turco had to work to keep the game at 3-2 before Ott's goal -- it also had to watch Dallas play "pretty close to the best two periods we've played throughout most of the year," in the words of head coach Marc Crawford.
Which, for the Ducks, meant two of their worst periods, on the heels of three of their worst periods in Saturday's 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Randy Carlyle's response?
"I have some things in mind that I'm going to implement," he said following the game.
Expect to learn what that means at practice tomorrow. While it probably doesn't mean first-line minutes for, say, George Parros, there were certainly some head-scratching plays early in Wednesday's game.
Like Jonas Hiller leaving the puck for Mike Ribeiro behind his own net. Like Brenden Morrow skating down center ice unchecked, in perfect position to receive Ribeiro's pass for the Stars' second goal.
Like three players surrounding James Neal on a penalty kill minutes later, leaving Trevor Daley all alone to make it 3-0 Dallas.
Like Todd Marchant saying during the first intermission that "today's game is all about special teams," then watching his 'mates garner just one shot on its first power play -- during which Luca Sbisa upended his own teammate behind his own net.
Ryan Getzlaf and Joffrey Lupul scored the Ducks' goals. It was Getzlaf's first of the season, and it came on the fourth anniversary of his first career NHL goal.
More details in tomorrow's editions.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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