(Sports Network) - The Anaheim Ducks will try to even their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series tonight, when they visit the Dallas Stars for Game 4 at American Airlines Center.
The fourth-seeded Ducks are the defending Stanley Cup champions, but will have to climb out of a two-game hole if they want to get out of the opening round this season.
Dallas won the first two tests of this series in Anaheim, but the Ducks stormed back with a 4-2 triumph Tuesday night in Texas. Chris Pronger posted two goals and an assist, as Anaheim doubled up the Stars and cut its series' deficit to 2-1.
Ryan Getzlaf also registered a goal and an assist for the Ducks, while Jean- Sebastien Giguere made 31 saves to pick up the win. Giguere bounced back from a rough outing in Game 2, when he surrendered five goals on 30 shots.
The 30-year-old backstop is 32-15 with a 2.05 goals against average and .926 save percentage in his playoff career. Giguere has a Conn Smythe Trophy to his credit, as he was named the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2003 despite the fact that Anaheim lost in the finals to New Jersey.
Brenden Morrow scored twice, while Mike Modano and Mike Ribeiro both had two assists for the Stars. Marty Turco allowed four goals on 15 shots in defeat.
The Stars were a solid 23-16-2 at home during the regular season. The Ducks struggled on the road, going 19-18-4 away from Orange County.
Game 5 of this series is scheduled for Friday night in Anaheim.
Anaheim could get their leading goal-scorer from the regular season back on the ice tonight, as Corey Perry is expected to play his first game since suffering a quad injury on March 6. The 22-year-old winger led Anaheim with 29 goals in 70 games before having a tendon in his right leg partially severed by a skate blade. Perry had surgery to repair the damage and is now ready to return.
The Ducks became the first-ever West Coast team to win a Stanley Cup championship last year, as they defeated Ottawa in five games to also earn the first league crown in franchise history.
Anaheim is trying to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships since Detroit did it in 1997 and '98.
Dallas, meanwhile, is attempting to get past the opening round in the postseason for the first time since 2003, when it lost in the conference semifinals to Anaheim. The Stars have been bounced out in the quarters in three straight playoff trips.
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