Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars Preview, Score & Results

Frank Doyle has previews and predictions for all of the NHL playoffs’ opening-round series. This time he breaks down the Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars. Check out all of Sports Interaction’s Stanley Cup odds here.

Odds: Anaheim Ducks -250, Dallas Stars +175

Anaheim Ducks:

The Ducks flew out of the gate and were cruising through the midway point of the season before tailing off a bit. They put it together late in the year to win four straight and secure the top spot in the West. As always, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf lead the way offensively but the Ducks are extremely deep down the middle with Andrew Cogliano and Mathieu Perreault following the captain. Anaheim is a big, tough team that’s built to win in the playoffs. The Ducks have a good mix of youth and experience on defence but they’ll need to improve their special teams.

Other NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Previews and Picks:

Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars

New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche

San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings

Dallas Stars:

Dallas is paced by its own dynamic duo – Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars will only go as far as that pair will take them and this could turn into a bad matchup for Dallas. The Ducks will focus on wearing Benn and Seguin down and taking their chances with the Stars’ secondary scoring. Benn and Seguin combined for 71 goals, but no other player on the team has more than 17. This team is happy to be back in the playoff mix and will gain some good experience in this series. However, if goaltender Kari Lehtonen doesn’t stand on his head while Benn and Seguin light it up, the Stars could be golfing in a hurry.

Key factors:

Anaheim heads into the playoffs riding a wave of good vibes. The Ducks made Teemu Selanne their captain for his last regular season home game which will likely end up as the last of his career. The Ducks have been very careful about how they’ve used Selanne this year and he could be a major factor if he can play 13 strong minutes a night.

Prediction:

Dallas won two of the three meetings between the two clubs but the Ducks are better suited for a playoff matchup. The Stars will need to get a ton of production from Benn and Seguin to stay in this early on. Anaheim is a big team that will be out to run Dallas through the boards and that’s a lot to deal with over a seven-game series.

Pick: Anaheim Ducks win in five games.

Results:

Game 1: Anaheim 4-3

Game 2: Anaheim 3-2

Game 3: Dallas 3-0

Game 4: Dallas 4-2

Game 5: Anaheim 6-2

Game 6: Anaheim 5-4 (OT)