Cracknell, Niemi lift Stars past Ducks in season opener
DALLAS -- Newcomer Adam Cracknell had a goal and an assist and Antti Niemi stopped 33 of 35 shots for the Dallas Stars in a 4-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday at American Airlines Center.
Cracknell, signed this summer to provide forward depth, assisted on the game-winning goal by Antoine Roussel early in the third period. Cracknell then delivered an insurance tally later in the frame.
Lauri Korpikoski scored a goal and Dan Hamhuis added an assist in their debuts for the Stars.
Stephen Johns also scored in the first period for Dallas, which had only only shot in the opening 20 minutes.
Andrew Cogliano scored both goals for Anaheim, his ninth career multi-goal game.
Dallas scored first when Johns tapped in a pass from Patrick Eaves 3:40 into the game. Eaves beautifully threaded a cross-ice pass from the left side through the Anaheim crease and Johns got his stick inside of Cam Fowler's right skate to poke the puck past goaltender John Gibson.
Anaheim tied it with 5:51 remaining in the first when Cogliano collected his own rebound to score a shorthanded goal.
The Ducks had four power plays in the first period, two coming on a double-minor on Jordie Benn for high-sticking, but were 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
Dallas regained the lead early in the second period when Korpikoski, who was signed on Monday, scored on a one-timer from the edge of the left circle 2:43 into the second period after Devin Shore fed him with a backhand pass from the slot. Korpikoski then flicked a quick wrist shot into the back of the net, beating Ducks goaltender John Gibson, who stopped 16 of 20 shots, far post.
The Stars had two great chances to put some distance between themselves and the Ducks later in the second period, but a Jason Spezza one-timer from the left circle found the left goalpost with 6:03 remaining and Gibson denied Tyler Seguin at close range less than a minute before second intermission.
Cogliano briefly tied the game at 2-2 with his second of the game 1:01 into the third period, beating Niemi on a one-timer from the slot after a Jiri Hudler turnover inside the Dallas zone.
Dallas quickly answered when Roussel knocked in Cracknell's backhand pass 22 seconds later. Cracknell's pass traveled through the crease and despite not striking the puck cleanly, Roussel was still able to score.
Cracknell then made it a two-goal game with 10:23 remaining when he tapped in a Radek Faksa pass.
NOTES: The Ducks scratched RW Emerson Etem, D Korbinian Holzer and D Clayton Stoner. Etem was claimed off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. ... The Stars scratched D Esa Lindell, LW Curtis McKenzie and D Jamie Oleksiak (muscle strain). ... Families representing officers killed in the July 7 shootout in downtown Dallas performed the ceremonial puck drop alongside Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf and Stars captain Jamie Benn. The Stars also wore special decals on their helmets to honor the five fallen officers. ... Ducks RW Jared Boll, LW Mason Raymond and C Antoine Vermette made their team debuts, while D Jacob Larsson and RW Nick Sorensen made their NHL debuts. ... RW Adam Cracknell, D Dan Hamhuis, RW Jiri Hudler and LW Lauri Korpikoski made their Stars debuts. ... Ducks LW Nick Ritchie and Stars RW Brett Ritchie, his older brother, faced each other for the first time in the NHL.