Anaheim Ducks Use Late Rally To Elminate Dallas Stars
Apr 27, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) congratulates Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) after the overtime period in game six of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Ducks defeated the Stars 5-4 and win the series 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Trevor Daley‘s second goal of the game late in the second period gave the Dallas Stars a 4-2 lead and that looked like it would be enough to force a game 7 back in Anaheim. But Bruce Boudreau had studied from the School Of Roy and pulled his goalie with almost two and a half minutes left, and it was a successful strategy.
Nick Bonino scored with 2:10 left and then Devante Smith-Pelly‘s second of the game tied it up with 24 seconds left to force overtime. Bonino scored the series winner, one-timing a shot from the slot on a pass from Andrew Cogliano 2:47 into the extra frame to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for the Anaheim Ducks.
There will be questions about who will start in goal for the Ducks in round 2, as Jonas Hiller was perfect after coming in to relieve starter Frederik Andersen. Andersen was pulled for the second time in the series after allowing 4 goals on 12 shots in 30:33 of action.
One game after Ryan Getzlaf had taken over the franchise playoff scoring lead from him, Teemu Selanne had 2 assists to move back into a tie with Getzlaf at 66 points.
Dallas couldn’t hold on to leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2. In addition to Daley’s pair, the Stars got goals from Cody Eakin and Ryan Garbutt. Ben Lovejoy had the other Ducks goal.
In the end the biggest difference for the series was the performance of each team’s dynamic duos. Dallas’ two top ten league scorers combined for just 8 points in the series (Jamie Benn – 5, Tyler Seguin – 3) while the Ducks dup of Getzlaf and Corey Perry combined for 14 (7 points each).
The Ducks await the winner of the San Jose Sharks – Los Angeles Kings series, in which game 6 will go Monday night.