(SportsNetwork.com) - After falling behind 2-0 in Anaheim, the Dallas Stars will try to get on the board in the Western Conference quarterfinals Monday when they host the Ducks in Game 3 at American Airlines Center.
The Stars, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2008, dropped a pair of one-goal regulation losses against the top-seeded Ducks in Games 1 and 2. Anaheim recorded a 4-3 win in the opener at Honda Center and then notched a 3-2 decision in Friday's clash in Orange County.
Monday's tilt marks the first home playoff game for the Stars since May 19, 2008, when Detroit posted a 4-1 win to win the Western Conference finals in six games.
Dallas was 23-11-7 as the home team in 2013-14 and beat the Ducks, 6-3, on Nov. 26 in the lone meeting between the clubs this season in Big D.
Frederik Andersen made 34 saves to help the Ducks hold off the Stars in Game 2. Anaheim held a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes and pushed the cushion to 3-1 after Andrew Cogliano's short-handed goal at 5:09 of the third period. Ryan Garbutt cut the deficit back to one for Dallas less than five minutes later, but that would be the final goal of the game.
Ryan Getzlaf posted a goal and an assist for the Ducks one game after suffering a nasty facial injury. Getzlaf was hit in the face by a puck shot off the stick of Tyler Seguin in the closing seconds of Game 1 and suffered a deep facial laceration. He required multiple stitches to close the cut and wore a shield to protect the lower part of his face on Friday.
Hours after he suffered the injury in the opener, Getzlaf was at his wife's side for the birth of the couple's daughter, Willa.
"Every once in a while, you need your best players to step it up when the rest of the guys lose their composure," said Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau. "Getzy, with what's happened to him in the last three days, to come in and get two points and a plus-3 rating, is a sure reason why he's hopefully nominated for the MVP."
Corey Perry joined Getzlaf and Cogliano as the goal-scorers, snapping a 10- game postseason goal-scoring drought. It was Perry's first goal in the playoffs since scoring against Nashville on April 20, 2011.
In addition to Garbutt's goal, Alex Chiasson also scored for the Stars. Kari Lehtonen give up three goals on 19 shots in the loss.
"Every game is important from here on out," said Garbutt. "If we take care of business at home, we are going to be fine."
Anaheim played Friday without forward Matt Beleskey, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Beleskey will travel with the team to Dallas, but is questionable for Game 3.
Dallas defenseman Brenden Dillon has sat out the first two games with a lower- body issue and is not expected to play on Monday.
This series marks the third all-time playoff meeting between these clubs and first since the Stars bested the Ducks in six games during the 2008 Western Conference quarterfinals.
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday in Dallas.
[SportsNetwork.com]
