|
The Dallas Stars cruised to a 4-0 victory after outscoring Anaheim
3-0 and outshooting them 19-7 in the second period, where the Ducks
have struggled mightily at times.
"That was just a terrible hockey game," Ducks left winger Matt
Beleskey said. "You've got to feel sorry for the people who came out
to watch that one."
Anaheim would have clinched the No. 1 seed with a victory in
regulation but now the door remains open for the St. Louis Blues and
Nashville Predators. The Stars have already been eliminated from
playoff contention.
Right winger Patrick Eaves netted two goals and left winger Jamie
Benn notched three assists for the Stars. Center Vernon Fiddler and
defenseman Jordie Benn also scored goals for Dallas.
No. 2 goaltender Jhonas Enroth's 19 saves earned him a shutout, the
fifth of his career, second of the season and his first as a Star.
Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 28 of 32 shots in defeat.
The Stars turned mistakes into goals all night, scoring twice off
takeaways, once off a clean faceoff win in the Anaheim zone and
again off a 5-on-3 situation.
"That's how you put games away, it's good when you don't take any
prisoners," Enroth said.
Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said that the score could have been
worse if not for solid netminding from Andersen. Beleskey said he
did not recall his team making a tape-to-tape pass in the entire
game.
The two sides skated to a scoreless first period with Anaheim
earning the period's only complete power play and a 10-7 advantage
in shots on goal. The Stars headed into the first intermission a man
up after left winger Antoine Roussel, who was boxed for interference
earlier, was boarded and shaken up by defenseman Simon Despres.
Though they did not convert on the ensuing power play, the Stars
opened the scoring off a turnover 43 seconds after the penalty
expired.
Right winger Ryan Garbutt stole a Clayton Stoner breakout pass to
initiate a two-man play in transition with left winger Shawn Horcoff
that culminated in a rebound being popped in by Fiddler. The goal
came at 2:04 and was the 13th of Fiddler's campaign, and one that
kicked off an explosive stretch for the Stars.
"That line got us going, that was a pretty big goal there. Then we
got some pretty sharp power plays and we just kind of slowly took
over the game," Jamie Benn said.
Dallas would extend its lead 8:11 into the second stanza. A clean,
offensive-zone faceoff win resulted in Jamie Benn sending the puck
into in an open shooting lane for Jordie Benn from the right point.
His slap shot found the net through a screen from Eaves, netting
Jordie Benn his second goal of the season. It was the first time
Jamie Benn assisted on one of his brother's goals in the NHL.
[to top of second column] |
"It only took 25 years," joked Jamie Benn, adding that it had
happened just a bit more recently, eight years ago in a junior game.
The Stars would go on a 5-on-3 power play after Despres was sent off
for delay of game. They capitalized at 11:25, 23 seconds into the
two-man advantage. Eaves smacked in a one-timer from a patient Jamie
Benn on a pass that went from just outside the right post to the
goalmouth.
Dallas further cushioned its lead when a careless defensive-zone
turnover by defenseman Francois Beauchemin found the stick of Jamie
Benn, who dished the puck to Eaves who scored off a wrist shot. The
goal was Eaves' second of the game and his 14th of the season.
This was the sixth time the Ducks had lost by four or more goals
this season, yet they remained atop the Western Conference
standings.
"The way our team has gone is that we play three or four good ones
in a row, then we have a stinker, and then we get back to good ones
in a row," Boudreau said. "Hopefully that's the pattern and they get
mad enough to have a good one Saturday."
NOTES: Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf (general malaise) was given the night
off for the second straight game. Getzlaf last saw action April 1 in
a win over Edmonton and may play in the season finale at Arizona.
... RW Tim Jackman (leg), LW Patrick Maroon (illness), LW Matt
Beleskey (lower body) and D Clayton Stoner (lower body) all returned
to the Anaheim lineup, putting them at full strength essentially.
The quartet replaced RW Stefan Noesen, LW Tomas Fleischmann, LW
Emerson Etem and D James Wisniewski in the lineup. ... The Stars
came into the game healthy although they have been without C Rich
Peverley (heart) this season, during which he has served an
assistant coach for their AHL affiliate in Austin, Texas.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
