Apr 23, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; The Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks fight as streamers fall from the ceiling at the end of game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Ducks 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Stars brought a physical game to American Airlines arena and although they fell behind 2-0 in the first period, they fought their way back into the game and when the dust settled they held serve and beat the Ducks 4-2 to tie the series at 2 games each.
Playing without Captain Ryan Getzlaf, who was a surprise scratch with an upper body injury, the Ducks got out to a quick start, taking the play to the Stars early on. They were rewarded with a pair of goals, first on Bryan Allen‘s blast from the point for his first career playoff goal. They got their second one with less than 2 minutes left as Mathieu Perreault banked one in of teammate Patrick Maroon.
The Stars came out in the second and responded quickly, on a great individual effort by captain Jamie Benn. Off a faceoff just outside the Anaheim blue line, Benn won the draw forward and stepped around Perreault and fired a wrist shot from between the circles that beat Frederik Andersen clean just 23 seconds into the frame.
Six minutes later Vernon Fiddler tucked a shot over the shoulder of Andersen from a bad angle to tie it up, which is where is stayed despite Dallas outshooting the Ducks 16-3 in the period.
Dallas got just 3 shots in the third period, but made two of them count. First Cody Eakin made a tremendous rush through the neutral zone and then put a nice delay shot that beat Andersen low glove side to give the Stars the lead. Just over a minute later, Fiddler carried the puck into the Ducks zone and found Alex Goligoski trailing the play, and his shot beat Andersen low stick side. That was 2 goals on 2 shots and spelled the end of the night for the rookie goaltender, and he was replaced by Jonas Hiller.
The game got nasty in the third period, with a scrap between Antoine Roussel and Corey Perry, as well as 5 misconducts handed out in the final 3 minutes.
The Ducks will get back to home ice for game 5 on Friday night.