Recap: Gibson, McTavish Lead Ducks to 2-0 Win over Stars

The Ducks raced out to an early two-goal lead and then turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season tonight, downing the Dallas Stars 2-0 at Honda Center on John Gibson's 35-save shutout.
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With the win, Anaheim improved to 11-24-4 on the season and 7-10-1 on home ice. The Ducks now sit 2-3-1 past the midway point of a franchise-record 10-game homestand.
Mason McTavish led Anaheim offensively with a two-point night, his sixth career multi-point performance. Adam Henrique also scored for the Ducks, tying Troy Terry for the team lead (12) this season. Terry and Cam Fowler added assists.
Making his fourth consecutive start since returning from a lower-body injury, Gibson stopped all 35 Dallas shots for his 24th career shutout. Gibson ranks third among NHL leaders in saves (827).
The 29-year-old also matched Guy Hebert as the second-winningest goalie in franchise history (173).
The Stars were shut out for just the second time this season. Veteran netminder Scott Wedgewood took the loss in net with 24 saves.
Anaheim played one of its best periods of the season in the opening frame, firing 13 shots on net and taking advantage of some strong work by Gibson to claim a 2-0 edge at the first intermission.
The Ducks went ahead first just over three minutes into the game thanks to some help from an old friend. Henrique took a pass from McTavish right inside the Dallas blue line, working his way down the left wing wall before lofting a shot on net that deflected off the stick of former Duck Jani Hakanpaa and past Wedgewood to put Anaheim ahead.

Henrique has scored the game's opening goal four times this season, trailing only Terry (five) among Ducks leaders.
Terry secured his second consecutive 20-assist season with the secondary helper.
Anaheim's resident one-timer specialist doubled the lead later in the period, making good on a second chance to hammer one from the right faceoff circle. With the Ducks on the power play, Wedgewood shut down McTavish's first one-timer with a right pad save, but the rookie center got another try moments later, lifting his bid over the netminder's shoulder to the short side to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead.

With two points on the night, McTavish moved into a tie for second place among NHL rookies in points and assists. The 19-year-old leads Anaheim in power-play points (10) and co-leads in power-play goals (four).
McTavish's goal was his ninth of his 48-game NHL career, fourth-most in Ducks history by a teenager.
Skating in his 850th NHL game, Fowler grabbed an assist on the goal to move within one of becoming the fifth player to record 300 assists as a Duck.
Zegras also collected an assist on the power-play goal. He now has four in his last four games and a team-leading 19 on the season.
That two-goal cushion would be more than enough help for Gibson, who was spectacular all night long and helped out by Anaheim's stingy defensive effort. The Ducks excelled, especially late in the game, at keeping Dallas to the perimeter and out of the slot, a strategy head coach Dallas Eakins would be crucial to success at his pregame press conference.
The Ducks would be tested one last time on a late third period penalty kill after Terry was whistled for tripping Dallas captain Jamie Benn, but the Ducks shorthanded unit once again came up big to lock down a 2-0 victory.
After struggling heavily early in the season the penalty kill, the Ducks have now eliminated 16 of their opponents' last 17 power plays.
The Ducks continue their 10-game homestand Friday night against San Jose.