Watch Dallas Stars vs Anaheim Ducks Live Online
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Watch Dallas Stars vs Anaheim Ducks Live Online
Each team took three games from last year's head-to-head, the Stars winning in regulation and in overtime, the Ducks with one regulation win and two shootouts. Both teams come off frustrating losses, Dallas dropping one at home to the hard-charging Kings and the Ducks getting blanked 5-0 by the Blues at Honda Center. In the Stars' case, part of the problem was not having points leader Brad Richards on hand to get the offense going while the Ducks struggled as well, particularly on the power play, getting shut out for the second time in three games.
With four key players out, it's hard enough to maintain consistent play. The Stars have had to get by without Mike Modano, Steve Ott, Brad Richards or Jere Lehtinen, and Modano's return looked imminent until Friday when he aggravated the rib injury that sidelined him since the season opener. Lehtinen suffered a groin injury during the Nashville game on October 14. Both were placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
After two shutouts in three games, a 2.14 goals-per-game average, and an 0-for-17 drought on the power play, offense has become an issue with a team that specifically tried to upgrade in that area in the offseason. "We don't have one line right now that's playing consistently well," Joffrey Lupul told the Orange County Register at practice on Sunday. "The games we've won and played well it seems like everybody contributed. It's just a matter of everyone getting comfortable with who they're playing with, and there's a little bit more we can do as far as winning battles and giving ourselves a little bit more of a chance to play off them."
