Ducks at Stars
The Dallas Stars hope to end their season-opening four-game homestand on a high note Saturday when they host the Anaheim Ducks. Dallas began the stretch with a pair of victories before suffering a 7-4 loss to Toronto on Tuesday.
Tyler Seguin factored in on all four Stars' goals against the Maple Leafs, scoring one and setting up the others to take the team lead with eight points. Anaheim has been involved in three straight one-goal decisions, with each of its last two contests being decided in a shootout. The Ducks came out on the wrong side of a 3-2 verdict against Arizona on Wednesday despite the return of Ryan Kesler, who scored in his season debut after missing the first three games with a hip injury. "It was nice to hear the cheers, and the welcome back that I got was pretty special since everything I went through for the past year and a half," Kesler told reporters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (3-0-1): Ben Street is proving that perseverance pays off as he scored his first goal in 39 career games Wednesday. "Kind of a long time coming," the 31-year-old center, who appeared in 35 contests with Calgary, Colorado and Detroit from 2012-17 before spending last season in the American Hockey League, told reporters. "I played a long time and you don't feel that legitimate until you score in the NHL, so it was an exciting moment and I'm happy it's over with." Captain Ryan Getzlaf, who is sidelined with a pulled groin, is not expected to play against Dallas on Saturday or in St. Louis the following night.
ABOUT THE STARS (2-1-0): Valeri Nichushkin made his return to the NHL on Tuesday, registering two shots and a minus-1 rating in just under 13 minutes of ice time. The 23-year-old Russian right wing, who spent the last two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, registered 23 goals and 41 assists over 166 games with Dallas from 2013-16 after being selected with the 10th pick of the 2013 draft. Alexander Radulov has scored in every contest this season and has posted back-to-back three-point performances as he trails Seguin by one point for the team lead.
OVERTIME
1. Ducks rookie LW Max Comtois was kept off the scoresheet by Arizona, ending his career-opening three-game point streak.
2. Dallas' top line of Seguin, Radulov and captain Jamie Benn has produced nine of the team's 12 goals on the season, with D John Klingberg adding a pair.
3. Anaheim has allowed six goals this season, the lowest total over the first four games in franchise history.