Ducks Break Nine-Game Winless Streak with Victory Over Stars
Ducks Snap Skid with 3-1 Victory Over Stars
The Anaheim Ducks ended their nine-game losing streak on Tuesday night, defeating the Dallas Stars 3-1. Chris Kreider and Beckett Sennecke each found the net, while Lukas Dostal demonstrated resilience in the goal, particularly in a tense final few minutes.
Jacob Trouba also contributed with a key goal, and Dostal made 24 saves, many of which came from close range after Dallas pulled their goalie twice late in the game. This victory marked the Ducks’ first win since a 4-1 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 20, breaking a streak of eight losses and one overtime defeat.
Roope Hintz scored for Dallas, and Casey DeSmith recorded 22 saves as the Stars faced their fourth loss in six games, bringing their record during that span to 2-2-2.
In a thrilling finish, Hintz narrowed the score to 2-1 with a well-placed snap shot on the power play with just over two minutes remaining in the third. However, Trouba secured the Ducks’ victory with an empty-net goal from his own zone, finding the net with 20.5 seconds to go.
The Ducks entered the matchup without their top three point scorers—Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, and Cutter Gauthier—due to injury or illness, yet managed to perform admirably against one of the league’s top teams. They dominated much of the contest, out-skating, out-hitting, and out-hustling the Stars.
The Ducks capitalized on a delayed penalty call against Kyle Capobianco to score their first goal in the second period. Dostal vacated the net to give Anaheim an extra skater. Mikael Granlund, from the blue line, passed to Kreider, who fired a snap shot past DeSmith to establish a 1-0 lead at 3:36 into the second period.
Anaheim seemed poised to extend their lead when Alex Killorn scored a shorthanded goal in the closing moments of the second, following a brilliant backhand pass from Ryan Poehling. However, the goal was disallowed due to interference after Poehling collided with DeSmith and the net.
The Ducks did increase their advantage with 7:58 left in the third when Sennecke capitalized on a rebound from Granlund’s initial shot, deftly guiding the puck past DeSmith for a 2-0 lead.
