Duck hunt: Ducks outshoot Stars in Game 5 blowout

The Anaheim Ducks have the Dallas Stars on the brink after a blowout 6-2 victory in Game 5 of their opening-round Stanley Cup playoff series. 

It was a decidedly odd contest: fast paced, dramatic, sloppy, and extraordinarily physical in equal measure. It was also a weird contest because, scoreboard aside, the Stars were probably the better team for much of the contest.

But the Ducks' special teams dominance ultimately overpowered the Stars. Anaheim capitalized on 4-of-6 man-advantage opportunities in the game, and killed off all seven Stars power-play opportunities. 

Game 5 goes Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

Star Performer

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was a game-time decision on Friday night, but he ultimately returned to the lineup from myriad injuries and played in Game 5. He played pretty well too, aside from an ugly first period giveaway. 

Getzlaf set up Mathieu Perreault's game-winner in the second period with a perfect feed, scored a goal in the third period, and finished with a game-high three points (tied with linemate Corey Perry). In a contest that was everything but a defensive struggle, the high scorer gets the nod. 

Turning Point

The Dallas Stars were pressing late in the second period, they'd outshot the Ducks 16-10 in the frame, and were challenging Frederik Andersen with a torrent of quality looks. Based on the lopsided flow of play, it seemed like the Stars would throw the kitchen sink at Anaheim in the third period.

But then Jakob Silfverberg converted a pretty Andrew Cogliano pass early in the third and gave the Ducks a two-goal cushion:

[Courtesy NHL.com]

The Ducks never looked back. In fact, they'd add to their lead further with two more goals in the frame. What was supposed to be an intense period of grind-it-out hockey quickly devolved into a Ducks cakewalk. 

Highlight Reel

Stars forward Ryan Garbutt made news by spearing Perry in the Perries, but how about Stars veteran Shawn Horcoff. Going into Friday night, Horcoff hadn't scored a goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2006! For Horcoff, this second period tally must have felt pretty good (even though a win would have been better): 

Quote of the Night

Getzlaf, a student of Cold War history in addition to being a world-class hockey player, understands the concept of deterrence:

Series at a Glance

Game 1 Recap: Ducks 4, Stars 3
Game 2 Recap: Ducks 3, Stars 2
Game 3 Recap: Stars 3, Ducks 0
Game 4 Recap: Stars 4, Ducks 2
Game 6: Sunday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET