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 Chris Pronger scored two power-play goals after assisting on the Ducks' first goal and they held on for a 4-2 victory Tuesday night over the Dallas Stars, who lost for the seventh time in their last eight home playoff games and missed a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Anaheim led 4-0 before Stars captain Brenden Morrow scored two power-play goals 1:39 apart in the third period, but Jean-Sebastien Giguere held firm the rest of the way.
Giguere had 31 saves, four of them coming during a during a 4-minute power play after Mathieu Schneider got called for a double-minor after a high stick on Morrow. The Stars had plenty of traffic in front of Giguere during that span, but never could get a third goal.
The Ducks scored three goals in the first 14 1/2 minutes -- on only four shots
-- to quickly prove what they had said since losing the first two games at home: the series was far from over. Game 4 is Thursday night in Dallas, with Game 5 the following night in Anaheim.
Pronger was basically a nonfactor the first two games and the Ducks' captain was already in the penalty box less than 3 minutes into Game 3 for a cross-checking penalty. Then, the 15-season veteran in his 12th playoffs finally had made a positive impact.
Tangling with Mattias Norstrom in the corner to the side of Dallas' net, Pronger forced a turnover that turned into an assist. Travis Moen took over the puck and fed Todd Marchant for his first goal of the series
-- and a 1-0 lead only 6:39 in.
Norstrom made an even worse mistake only a couple of minutes later from the same corner, when his flippant pass was intercepted by Ryan Getzlaf, who pushed a backhander passed Marty Turco for an unassisted goal and a 2-0 lead midway through the first period.
Coming home with a 2-0 series lead for the first time since moving to Dallas 15 years ago, the Stars gave out 15,000 black T-shirts that were blank on the front and on the slogan "Believe" on the back. Dallas wore black jerseys.
But the Stars, who have been first-round flops the last three playoffs, found the excitement taken out of the building because of the early deficit. And it remained a pedestrian crowd until Morrow's late goals.
Pronger added to the early misery with his power-play goals, the second a 5-on-3.
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With 5:29 left in the first period, on the Ducks' fourth shot of the game, Pronger scored on a centering pass from Todd Bertuzzi.
The Stars started the second period on the power play, but couldn't convert against Giguere.
A tripping penalty against Stephane Robidas about 5 minutes into the second period gave Anaheim a man advantage, and Turco stopped Ryan Carter's backhander before Teemue Selanne missed wide of the net. Then Matt Nickasen got whistled for delay of game, and 12 seconds into a 5-on-3, Pronger made a slap shot from high in the slot on a pass from Selanne.
Turco stopped 11 shots.
The Stars didn't get a puck past Giguere until Morrow poked one in after Mike Riberio's crossing pass to Mike Modano with 14:17 left. Dallas was quickly back on the power play, and Morrow knocked in a rebound when Modano's shot bounced off the goalie and onto the stick of the Stars captain.
Notes: Ducks RW Rob Niedermayer missed the game because of an apparent concussion sustained in Game 2. Niedermayer didn't travel to Dallas, and instead remained home after complaining of concussion-like symptoms. It wasn't clear if Niedermayer would join the team for Game 4 on Thursday night, or his status for the remainder of the series. ... Anaheim is trying to become the first defending Stanley Cup champion since Colorado in 2002 to get past the first round in the playoffs. Carolina missed the playoffs last year.
[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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