Ducks vs. Stars Preview
By Editorial Staff
Ducks:
The Ducks currently are on a two game win streak, with their most recent 2-1 win over Detroit. That win came from a fantastic overtime penalty shot by Bobby Ryan. They killed off 8/9 Detroit powerplays. Their penalty kill has been extremely solid all year long. Dan Ellis has also been a solid backup while Hiller is still on injured reserve with concussion-like symptoms. The Ducks will need to step up their offense if they want to score on the surging Kari Lehtonen.
Stars:
The Stars recently beat their division rival Phoenix Coyotes in a thrilling game that had Jamie Benn scoring the GWG with only seconds left. This gave the Stars a three game winning streak an was the start of a four game road trip, all against division rivals. At a post game presser, Crawford stated that Lehtonen will most likely be in net for today’s game. The Stars have steadily dropped down in the western conference standings, but have picked up their game play as of recent.
Injuries:
Ducks: Jonas Hiller (vertigo), Saku Koivu (groin)
Stars: Brad Richards (recently started skating but is questionable), Nicklas Grossman (Hip)
Series and Stats:
-This is the fourth meeting between the teams
-Tuesday October 26, at Dallas: Anaheim 5, Dallas 2
-Friday November 12, at Anaheim: Anaheim 4, Dallas 2
-Tuesday November 16, at Dallas: Dallas 2, Anaheim 1
-The Ducks have stopped 13/14 on the PK in their last 4 games
-In the Stars last 4 games, they have only allowed 6 goals.
-Ryan Getzlaf has 12 points in his last 9 games
Here is the comparison of the two teams:
Ducks | How they match up | Stars |
---|---|---|
2.72 | Goals per game | 2.68 |
2.89 | Goals-against avg. | 2.75 |
21.8% | Power play | 18.3% |
80.8% | Penalty killing | 79.5% |
(Courtesy of the OC register)
Both the Ducks and the Stars are very close when it comes to numbers. And with the current western conference, this is a must win for the Ducks.