Stars Are Out in OT to Knock Off Ducks

It took 243 minutes and 20 seconds, but the Dallas Stars finally beat the Mighty Ducks.

They were 0-3 against the Ducks before Wednesday, and it took overtime before they pulled out a 3-2 victory on Dean Evason’s short-handed slap shot from the blue line at 3:20 of the five-minute overtime.

The Ducks led, 2-0, after the first period, but Dallas tied the score on Brent Gilchrist’s goal at 13:44 of the third.

It looked as if the best they would manage would be a tie.

The Ducks got a rare overtime power-play opportunity when Grant Ledyard was called for cross-checking Jarrod Skalde at 1:41, but it was Dallas that ended up scoring.

With the Ducks still on the power play, Evason scored the game-winner on a slap shot from the blue line that found its way between goaltender Ron Tugnutt’s pads after being deflected by one of his defensemen.

The game, played before 17,174 at Anaheim Arena, was the third sellout of the season. Sunday’s game against the Kings also has sold out.

That game will mark the second meeting between Southern California’s NHL teams. They entered the first game on Dec. 2 tied in the standings, and the Kings won, 3-2.

The Ducks lead the Kings by two points in the Pacific Division standings, with the Kings playing host to Dallas tonight at the Forum.

The Stars tied the score in the third on a power-play goal when Gilchrist knocked in a pass from Ulf Dahlen from in front of the net.

Tugnutt dove to his left but couldn’t stop the puck, as the Stars finally scored after about a half-dozen misses from close range earlier in the game.

But the game started out looking as if the Ducks would beat the Stars yet again. The Ducks led, 2-0, on goals by Jarrod Skalde and defenseman Mark Ferner.

Skalde’s goal at 2:19 of the first was his fourth in seven games since joining the team from minor league affiliate San Diego after leading scorer Anatoli Semenov separated his left elbow on Dec. 7. Skalde also has three assists.

Ferner glided into the slot and scored off a pass from Shaun Van Allen on the side of the net at 18:11.

Dallas cut the lead to one goal only 38 seconds into the second period when Mark Tinordi skated into the open in the slot and scored off a pass from Dahlen from the side of the net.

That was the only goal of the second period, even though each team had ample opportunity on power plays.

Dallas was 0 for 3 in the period, and was unable to convert with a two-man advantage for 51 seconds when Randy Ladouceur was sent off for boarding with the Stars already on a power play after Mark Ferner was called for holding.

The Ducks were 0 for 2 on power plays in the second, and managed only two shots on a four-minute power play after a fight between the Stars’ Gord Donnelly and the Ducks’ Troy Loney.

Donnelly was assessed minors for cross-checking and instigating the fight, along with a fighting major and a game misconduct. Loney was given a fighting major.

Duck Notes

Captain Troy Loney played for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Nov. 17. The injury had limited him to only 14 games . . . Left wing Garry Valk played after missing the last four games because of the complications from a concussion. Defenseman Sean Hill (bruised ribs) and center Patrik Carnback (groin) were scratched.

Center Anatoli Semenov was a near-lock to be the Ducks’ first All-Star before his elbow injury Dec. 7. Now the contenders to represent the team at the Jan. 22 game at Madison Square Garden in New York include goaltenders Guy Hebert and Ron Tugnutt, forwards Terry Yake and Garry Valk, and defensemen Bill Houlder and Bobby Dollas. The player chosen could be determined by what positions Western Conference Coach Barry Melrose needs to fill out his roster.