Sun Mar 30 23:24:26 2008

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Kunitz lifts Ducks over Stars in shootout

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Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Kunitz scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout, as the Anaheim Ducks clipped the Dallas Stars, 3-2, at Honda Center.

Ryan Getzlaf started things off for Anaheim and rang a shot off the goalpost. Brad Richards then snapped a wrister between the legs of Jean-Sebastien Giguere to put Dallas in front. Teemu Selanne skated straight down the ice and fired a shot off the bottom of the left pad of Marty Turco to knot the shootout at one.

After Giguere turned aside Mike Modano's offering, Kunitz moved in on Turco and showed forehand before switching to the backhand and lifting the puck over the fallen netminder. Jere Lehtinen had a chance to extend the shootout for Dallas, but Giguere made a save with the catching glove.

Mathieu Schneider scored twice for the Ducks, who have won three of their last four games. Getzlaf collected two assists, while Giguere finished with 23 saves.

Anaheim now has 98 points and sits fourth in the Western Conference standings, five points ahead of Dallas, which clinched a playoff spot with the one point.

Modano and Niklas Hagman lit the lamp for the Stars, who have dropped six of their last seven games. Turco stopped 30-of-32 shots in defeat.

A costly turnover by Marc-Andre Bergeron led to Dallas netting the tying goal early in the third period. Bergeron's attempted pass from behind his own net deflected off Toby Petersen right to the stick of Hagman, who rifled a shot past Giguere 1:53 into the frame.

The Ducks jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the power play. As Mattias Norstrom served a minor penalty for interference, Getzlaf sent a rink-wide pass to Schneider, whose one-timer from the right point skipped off the ice and over the glove of Turco at the 9:43 mark of the first period.

Modano's 20th goal of the season put the Stars on the board at 6:45 of the second. Shortly after Anaheim's power play expired, Modano spotted Brenden Morrow at the offensive blue line. The Stars captain gathered the pass and took a couple strides before backhanding the puck back to Modano, who snapped a wrister from the high slot that flew over the right pad and under the blocker of Giguere.

Schneider restored the lead for Anaheim when he snuck in from the point and hammered home Getzlaf's pass behind Turco with 5:06 remaining in the middle stanza.

Game Notes

Modano reached the 20-goal mark for the 16th time in his career...The Ducks finished 1-for-7 on the power play. Dallas went 0-for-5...Dallas won the season series (5-2-1)...Anaheim plays its final road game of the regular season Saturday in Los Angeles...Dallas closes out its road slate Thursday in Phoenix.