Stars at Ducks
With the Presidents' Trophy no longer an option, the Anaheim Ducks now turn their attention to securing the top spot in the Western Conference. Anaheim looks to clinch home ice throughout the conference playoffs when it takes on the Dallas Stars in its home finale on Wednesday.
With a regulation victory, the Ducks would wrap up the No. 1 seed in the West as they enter two points ahead of St. Louis with two games remaining and own the tiebreaker. Dallas had its postseason hopes extinguished shortly after it took the ice in San Jose on Monday as it was eliminated by virtue of Winnipeg's victory over Minnesota. The Stars did not let that derail them as they went on to record their 10th win in 14 games, a 5-1 triumph in which captain Jamie Benn scored two goals and set up another. Dallas allowed a total of five goals in its first two meetings with Anaheim but scored only twice en route to a pair of losses - both at home.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, RSN
ABOUT THE STARS (39-31-10): Dallas has been one of the stronger road teams this season, going 23-15-2 away from home as opposed to 16-16-8 at American Airlines Center. The club looks to complete a perfect three-game trek by registering its fourth straight road victory. Benn's three-point performance Monday gave him a career high of 80 - one more than his total last season.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (50-23-7): Should Anaheim finish as the top seed in the West, the list of potential first-round playoff opponents includes Minnesota, Winnipeg, Calgary and Los Angeles. The Ducks had very little trouble with those clubs during the regular season, going a combined 13-1-2 against them while sweeping their three-game series against both the Wild and Jets. Tim Jackman, who has been sidelined since March 1, and Matt Beleskey, who has missed three games, could return from lower-body injuries on Wednesday.
OVERTIME
1. Stars C Tyler Seguin needs one goal to eclipse the career high of 37 he set last season.
2. Anaheim RW Corey Perry is four goals away from 300 for his career.
3. Benn is tied with Washington's Alex Ovechkin for fifth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, three points behind co-leaders Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.