Anaheim will take the ice for the first time in nine days, hoping to pick up where it left off before the break. The Ducks have won three straight games, including a comeback win over the defending champion Avalanche as well as home-and-home victories over the Coyotes, and have earned standings points in five of their last seven games.
"We're rolling and it feels good," Trevor Zegras said after the second win over Arizona. "It feels good. Everybody loves to win, no matter where you are in the standings or how the season is going. Winning is the best feeling and that's why we all play."
"We're learning that you don't have to hit a home run every shift and managing the game better," head coach Dallas Eakins said. "There's still hiccups along the way, but I think we're getting comfortable with that. That takes time to develop...Everyone's staying together, staying connected. That's how you stay in hockey games."
Tonight's game will also be a homecoming for Ducks defenseman John Klingberg, who missed the first meeting in Dallas this season while recovering from a lower-body injury and will visit American Airlines Center for the first time as a Stars opponent in his nine-year NHL career.
Klingberg, who signed a one-year contract with Anaheim last July, left Dallas second in franchise history in goals, assists and points by a defenseman. He led Stars blueliners in scoring in seven of his eight seasons in green and white. Klingberg tallied a +1 rating, two shots, three blocked shots and two hits in 16:28 of ice-time in Anaheim's 2-0 win over Dallas on Jan. 4 at Honda Center.
The Ducks and Stars will play the rubber match of a three-game season series tonight, with both sides earning shutout wins on home ice. Led by Jason Robertson's third career hat trick and Jake Oettinger's 31 saves, the Stars cruised to victory in the first meeting, but the Ducks executed their gameplan to near perfection in the rematch, locking the Stars out of the low slot and preventing second-chance opportunities for Dallas' top players.
Like Anaheim, Dallas is returning from its own lengthy break tonight, also hoping to keep their five-game point streak alive despite three consecutive overtime losses on home ice. The Stars will likely hope to keep the game out of 3-on-3 overtime, where they have a 2-8 record this season compared to the Ducks' 6-3 mark.
Dallas sits atop the Central Division (28-13-10, 66 points) and Western Conference, with a one point lead on second-place Winnipeg.
