What we learned from Ducks’ 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars

Playing the Western Conference’s best usually isn’t at the top of the wish list for a team trying to get into playoff form.

But the Ducks needed an opponent like Dallas and a game like Sunday’s 3-1 win at Honda Center to kick-start the home stretch of the regular season.

Here’s what we learned:

The Ducks got back to their defense.

That had gotten away from Anaheim recently, even though the team remains among the league’s best in goals-against and penalty killing.

The Ducks blocked 22 shots and forced Dallas into 15 missed shots. It was only the second time in 22 games that the Stars were held to one goal.

The Ryan Kesler line is picking up the scoring slack.

The Ducks are without injured forwards Brandon Pirri, David Perron and Rickard Rakell. But in the last nine games, the line of Kesler, Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg has combined for 13 goals and 17 assists.

Kesler, who was credited with an empty-net goal, reached 50 points, his most since his 73 points with Vancouver in 2010-11.

“They’ve always gotten the chances, they’ve just never put them in,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Now they’re starting to go in for them, which really makes it nice because now you have secondary scoring.”

Nate Thompson can’t remember if he’s had a three-game scoring streak … at any level.

Thompson got his first such streak in the NHL on Sunday, and he’s not sure if he had one before that.

“It’s been a long time, guys,” Thompson said with a smile. “I don’t know. Honestly, it’s been a long time. I’ll take it.”