Hot Dallas Stars face inconsistent Anaheim Ducks on Saturday - NHL Preview
Dallas Stars are going strong in the final run of regular season games and will be confident of continuing that winning streak when they face an inconsistent Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the American Airlines Center.
The Stars have hit a rich vein of form recently which has seen them move up from eighth spot in the Western Conference up into the top three.
Dallas are on a four-game winning run and have won eight out of their previous nine games to power their way into third with 79 points after some brilliant performances including a 5-2 mauling of the Vancouver Canucks on the road.
With a free scoring offensive line and a defensive unit that is equally performing the Stars will be more than confident on taking on a struggling Anaheim Ducks side at home ice.
The Ducks have been inconsistent this month with two wins and two losses but provide a challenge to any side that faces them.
Anaheim though still has an outside chance of reaching the playoffs as they lie 12th in the Western Conference with 68 points and trail eighth placed San Jose Sharks by seven points.
Stars (37-26-5, 79 pts)
Dallas will be the favourites to win at the American Airlines Center.
The Stars won their last game by a 4-3 margin after a shootout with the San Jose Sharks. Dallas were under pressure for most of the game but showed immense calmness and mental strength to equalise the game near the end of the final period and send the game
to overtime.
Tomas Vincour scored the equaliser and also stepped up to score the winner past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi in the shootout.
After the game Vincour was ecstatic and wants the team to continue taking two points for the rest of the season.
"It feels great. That's a huge two points for us. It doesn't matter who scores the goal. Now is the time to get two points every night and every goal is huge for us. I'm happy I could score for us but it doesn't matter who scores."
Ducks (29-29-10, 68 pts)
Anaheim has recently struggled to maintain consistent results.
However, they still have an outside chance of making the playoff rounds and will give it their all against the Stars.
Anaheim showed they are not a team to be taken lightly after going toe-to-toe with the Western Conference table toppers St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
For 40-minutes the Ducks were on equal terms against the Blues, however, in the end St. Louis’ talent showed through as they defeated Anaheim 3-1.
Coach, Bruce Boudreau, felt that his team played excellently but in the end points are what really matters in sport.
"I went over the game and I thought for 40 minutes, we were pretty darn good, holding that team to what we did. But it doesn't do us any good."
Predictions
Dallas Stars will win the game even though Anaheim will put up a fight.
The sum of goals will be less than six.
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