Gurianov scores twice, Stars hold off Ducks

DALLAS -- Denis Gurianov scored twice, and Ben Bishop made 29 saves for the Dallas Stars in a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at American Airlines Center on Thursday.

"I think it just shows what kind of player he could turn into with his speed," Stars forward Andrew Cogliano said of Gurianov, who has played 30 NHL games. "Those are two high-end goals, and then they end up being the difference tonight. You need contribution down the lineup, and I thought our line was playing pretty good the last couple games, so it's nice to get a couple goals."
The Stars (4-7-1) have won their past three games after a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).
WATCH: [All Ducks vs. Stars highlights]
"We've got to keep building," Dallas coach Jim Montgomery said. "It's easier to teach and build on positives and teach on areas where you need to get better when you're winning. The players are more receptive, and I think the coaches do it in a better fashion."
Max Comtois scored, and John Gibson made 27 saves for the Ducks (6-5-0), who have lost three straight.
"This is a good time to regroup and try to get back in the win column as quick as possible," Anaheim defenseman Korbinian Holzer said. "We had some tough losses, and now we just have to keep working hard. The next few games are going to be some big tests for us with [the Colorado Avalanche] and [the Vegas Golden Knights] on a back-to-back. Those are two pretty good teams in the League, so we just have to go out and be ready to work."
Gurianov scored on a backhand on the Stars' first shot at 2:42 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. It was Gurianov's first goal of the season and second of his NHL career. He scored again on a backhand on a breakaway to make it 2-0 with 2:23 left in the period.

"I scored on my first shot in the first shift and I found my game right away," Gurianov said.
Comtois scored a power-play goal on a rebound to get the Ducks within 2-1 at 4:31 of the second period.
Bishop made the save on all 11 shots he faced in the third period.
"We've got a great goalie, and he made some great saves tonight at key moments," Montgomery said. "We wouldn't like to have to rely on him the last two minutes as much as we did, but that's part of the team."

Ducks defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) and forward Ondrej Kase (lower body) left the game in the first period because of an injury. Manson crashed into the boards; Kase collided with Stars forward Roope Hintz. Coach Dallas Eakins said he didn't know whether either would play at the Avalanche on Saturday.
"That's always tough, but the mindset we have in this group is that someone else can step up," Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. "I'm not too worried about that. I'm going to miss those guys. But right now, we have to worry about what we've got. I'm really happy that we have guys coming up, so I'm not too worried."

They said it

"We're big believers that in every moment, there's an opportunity. If we're going to sit and sulk or feel bad for ourselves about something that's happened in the past, how can you be ready for the opportunity that lies in front of you right now? Whether you win or lose, you go back and try to sustain certain things that we've done well. But you also turn and look to improve certain areas. This isn't all rainbows and butterflies every day and being super positive. We'll improve on the things that we need to, and we'll try to encourage the things that we need to sustain." -- Ducks coach Dallas Eakins on the losing streak
"Especially coming home, you have to be good on home ice. We are finding ways to win. It's not pretty, but it's been effective and it's getting the job done. Like I said, we're one step at a time, one day at a time and take it day by day." -- Stars forward Corey Perry on the winning streak

Need to know

Perry faced the Ducks for the first time. He played his first 14 NHL seasons with the franchise before signing with the Stars as a free agent July 1. He had four shots on goal, two hits and a blocked shot in 16:38. … Cogliano had an assist in his first game against his former team since Anaheim traded the forward to Dallas on Jan. 14. … Anaheim went 1-for-2 on the power play and is 2-for-27 (7.4 percent) on the season. … The Stars have won seven in a row against the Ducks at home. Anaheim last won at Dallas on March 1, 2015.

What's next

Ducks: At the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, KCOP-13, NHL.TV)
Stars: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-SW, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV)