ANAHEIM, Calif., April 30 (UPI) -- Mike Leclerc scored a power-play goal with 1:47 left in the third period Wednesday night and Jean-Sebastien Giguere recorded his first career playoff shutout, giving the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim a 1-0 victory over the Dallas Stars and a three games to one lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Two nights after its six-game postseason winning streak was snapped, Anaheim registered its seventh one-goal triumph of the playoffs.
Giguere and Marty Turco were locked in a scoreless duel before Dallas center Jason Arnott took his second penalty of the third period for cross-checking Rob Niedermayer with 3:16 remaining.
With 31 seconds to go on the Ducks' fifth power play, Ruslan Salei fed the puck to fellow defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh in the left faceoff circle. Ozolinsh drew two defenders before sending a cross-ice pass to Leclerc, who caught Turco leaning and whipped a wrist shot into a half-empty net.
Both of Leclerc's playoff goals have been game-winners. His other was even more dramatic, coming 1:44 into overtime in Game 2 of this series.
Giguere made the slim lead stand, just as he's done throughout his first postseason. He made seven saves in the first period, 11 in the second and 10 in the third. None was bigger than his stop on Brenden Morrow during a Stars' power play with 16:44 to go in the third.
Morrow got a pass from Mike Modano at the edge of the right circle and threaded a shot between the skates of two defenders.
Giguere was caught flatfooted but moved right to left and got his left skate on the puck.
After sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in the first round, the Ducks can knock off the top-seeded Stars on Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
