Dallas Stars look for crucial win over surging Anaheim Ducks
By C.L. Kohuss
The Dallas Stars will look to tame a dangerous Ducks team as they seek a critical win at home. Anaheim is squaring off for Game 2 of a back-to-back.
For the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks, the stakes are being raised every game. Every period. We’re nearing the end of the regular season, when points are as precious to bubble teams as rings are to Gollum, when a loss here or there could derail an otherwise magical/mystical year.
The two will go to war with each on Friday for the second of three matchups this season. Anaheim skunked the Stars 2-0 back in late February.
Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Ducks
Date: Friday, Mar. 9
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: FSSW, FSW
Live Stream: Fubo.TV
While Dallas and Anaheim both offer identical point totals (80), they could be trending in opposite directions pending the outcome of this one.
Certainly for the Stars, a win at home would be vital to their future chances in a blistering Central Division. It’s also doubly important considering their next six will be on the road. Four of those feature legitimate playoff contenders.
And although Dallas has found their guts recently with late-game comebacks against Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Ottawa, they’ve lost three of five and are keeping other wild card would-be’s at bay with a quickly rotting stick. The Stars are enamored with the first wild card position and are two up on fellow Central-men Colorado.
The Ducks, on the other hand, have taken off. Despite a failed third period rally on Thursday against the Predators (you could get a sunburn playing Nashville right now), Anaheim still owns a mark of 7-2-1 in its last 10.
And we should start talking more about Rickard Rakell. He dinged two more goals to give him thirty on the year. He’s now scored in five straight and owns a career-tops 58 points.
In injuries, Dallas has been banged up but could see some bodies returning soon. Center Radek Faksa may be in the lineup on Friday. He has battled a lower-body injury in the last week and will be a game-time decision.
Defenseman Esa Lindell caught an undisclosed illness earlier in the week and might also make his way back against the Ducks.
Kari Lehtonen is likely in net for the Stars. Starter Ben Bishop was injured in the first period against Ottawa on Monday and is being evaluated day-to-day.
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On the Ducks side, John Gibson got the start in Smashville, so the ageless Ryan Miller will likely take the reins in this second night of a back-to-back. He put up a stellar performance in their last outing over Dallas.