Lehtonen blanks Ducks to help Stars trim series deficit in Game 3
Kari Lehtonen earned his first career playoff victory in spectacular fashion, stopping 37 shots as the Dallas Stars defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 to trim their series deficit to 2-1 in Game 3 on Monday.
Jamie Benn, Ryan Garbutt and Valeri Nichushkin scored for Dallas, which earned its first home playoff victory since 2008.
Star Performer
Lehtonen was at the top of his game, turning aside 13 shots in the first period, 17 in the second and seven in the third. He registered a career-high five shutouts during the regular season, but had yet to record a postseason victory in four starts prior to Monday.
Turning Point
Anaheim had the majority of puck-possession in the contest, but especially during the second period. The Ducks poured on the pressure for the majority of the period, but this goal by Dallas rookie Nichushkin late in the period extended the Stars' lead to 2-0 and took some of the wind out of Anaheim:
Highlight Reel
The Ducks lost more than the game on Monday. Veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas suffered a broken leg when Stars forward Ryan Garbutt fell into him early in the second period. Robidas was taken to hospital and is unlikely to play again this postseason after breaking the same leg in November.
Anaheim's frustration boiled over in front of Lehtonen shortly after Nichushkin's goal. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who is wearing a face shield to protect the stitches he received when a puck hit him in the face during Game 1, engaged in a heated exchange of gloved punches with Stars forward Antoine Roussel after the whistle.
Getzlaf and Roussel both received roughing penalties, with Roussel taking an extra two minutes - presumably because of the compromised state of Getzlaf's face.
Quote of the Night
"I'm pretty sure if you watch the scrums, our guys got punched in the face a few times. Eventually you're going to punch back. ... For us, we know we've got a good skating team and I think that we can frustrate." - Stars coach Lindy Ruff on the physical series.
Series at a Glance
Game 1 Recap: Ducks 4, Stars 3
Game 2 Recap: Ducks 3, Stars 2