Faceoff Factor

Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars: Game 4 preview

Mike Wilson | National Hockey League

Apr 16, 12:25 PM | Hype this story!

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Ducks (4) vs. Stars (5) Game 4
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Series Score: Ducks 1 – Stars 2
Game Time: 8:00 EST
Location: Reunion Arena (Dallas)
Television: ET, TSN

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Preview
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Going into game three, the most important thing for the Dallas Stars was to continue to shut down the big guns of Anaheim. If they could manage to do that, they would have no problem moving to the next round. However, Anaheim stars Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf, Todd Bertuzzi, Dough Weight and Teemu Selanne were in full flight looking to pay Dallas back for winning on their home ice.

Dallas woke a sleeping beast in Anaheim. The Ducks finally learned how to break through the Stars’ defensive wall. Though they only got 15 shots on goal, Anaheim certainly got to Marty Turco, scoring the first four goals of the game. Look for Anaheim’s offense to really explode in game four since they found their niche.

The only major way Dallas can prevent another early Anaheim offensive explosion is to fight fire with fire. The Stars need to get pucks behind Giguere before the Ducks get them behind Turco. Now that both teams are comfortable offensively, the goaltenders and defense are going to have their work cut out for them.

In that case, the key player for Anaheim is Chris Pronger. He scored the last two goals for the Ducks last night, was the number one star last night, and he is one of the few two-way players on either team. He is a strong defensive player and can put the puck in the net. Right behind him will be the Anaheim offensive corp. They made great plays last night and played like they did when they won the Lord Stanley’s Cup last season.

If Dallas can’t put their offense back to work, Anaheim will be enjoying more of the same in game four as they had in game three. The special teams will be the key for the Stars. They only scored on two of the eight power play opportunities in game three and Anaheim doesn’t seem to be playing less aggressive. If this constant trend of Anaheim penalties continues Thursday night, Dallas will have the opportunity to, once again, extend their lead to two games over the Anaheim Ducks.

For a complete list of team leaders and statistics, click here.

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Injuries
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Anaheim: R. Neidermayer, DTD (concussion); Perry, IR (right quad tendon laceration);
Dallas: Zubov, IR (Hernia)