Ducks at Stars
The Anaheim Ducks will see a familiar face on the other side of the ice when they visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Corey Perry, who signed a one-year $1.5 million contract with Dallas during the offseason, faces his former club for the first time after playing 14 seasons with Anaheim - a span that produced a Stanley Cup in 2007 and a Hart Trophy in 2011.
Perry, whose 372 goals as a Duck are second-most in club annals to Teemu Selanne (457), left as the franchise's all-time leader in games (988) until career linemate Ryan Getzlaf surpassed him Oct. 11. Perry, 34, the 28th overall pick by Anaheim in the 2003 draft, has a goal and two assists - all in a 4-1 victory at Philadelphia on Saturday - in four games since missing the first seven of the season with a broken foot. Dallas started the campaign with one win in nine contests (1-7-1) but has won two straight after Monday's 2-1 victory over Ottawa. The Ducks are going in the other direction after a 6-1 loss at Nashville on Tuesday gave them consecutive losses for the first time this season.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (6-4-0): Anaheim has received 16 of its 24 goals from four players: Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique (five goals apiece), and Rickard Rakell and Getzlaf (three each). Silfverberg leads the team in points (eight) and as a plus-8 while playing 18 minutes per game - most among Ducks' forwards. John Gibson is 4-4-0 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .927 save percentage this season after allowing four goals on 19 shots against Nashville and is 4-4, 3.08, .911 in eight games versus the Stars.
ABOUT THE STARS (3-7-1): Perry has skated on a line with captain Jamie Benn (goal, five points this season) and Roope Hintz, who leads the club with six goals and seven points. Second-year defenseman Miro Heiskanen is off to a strong start with three goals and is one of four Dallas players with a plus rating at plus-1. Ben Bishop (2-4-1, 2.57, .913) made 38 saves Saturday in his last game and is 8-2-2, 1.70, .937 in 12 contests (11 starts) against Anaheim.
OVERTIME
1. The home team has won 12 straight in the series with two of the games decided by one goal.
2. The Ducks are 1-for-25 on the power play this season while the Stars are 3-for-32 after scoring one in each of the last two games.
3. Perry is Anaheim's all-time leader in penalty minutes (1,110) while his 776 points are third to Selanne and Getzlaf.