The Dallas Stars have to win Sunday night in Game 6 of their Western Conference First Round series against the Anaheim Ducks or their season is over.
The Stars are confident they're up to the challenge.
"When this team has faced adversity they've answered the call," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday. "I'm positive that they'll answer that call again."
The Stars have to shake off a 6-2 loss to the Ducks in Anaheim on Friday, a game in which they surrendered four power-play goals and general suffered from a lack of discipline. They'll be helped by a return to American Airlines Center, where the Stars have won 10 of their past 12 games, including Games 3 and 4 of this series against the Ducks.
"We feel like we can do well at home, and we have to really do that tomorrow and keep our hopes alive that we can move on," goaltender Kari Lehtonen told the team's website. "I think that makes everybody a little bit more comfortable after a bad game like that. The next game is at home, and we've done well there in the past."
To stay alive, the Stars will need major improvement from their special teams. They went 0-for-7 on the power play in Game 5 and allowed Anaheim to score four times on six advantages.
"We're going to change that up. It's not working," Ruff said of a power play that is 2-for-24 in the series. "The units are going to change. I think we're getting a little bit of net focus and there's not enough deception and I think that comes with frustration from not scoring. So that part is going to change."
The Stars will have forward Ryan Garbutt in the lineup. On Saturday, the NHL fined Garbutt $1,474.36, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for spearing Ducks forward Corey Perry in Game 5 -- but he was not suspended. Garbutt was given a major penalty and game misconduct.
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