(Sports Network) - With baseball's Texas Rangers set to play in their first ever World Series beginning on Wednesday, tonight could be the last time the Dallas Stars can capture the state's attention for a while.
Looking to bounce back from a shutout loss over the weekend, the Stars continue a six-game homestand Tuesday at American Airlines Center against an Anaheim Ducks squad aiming to break even on a four-game road trip.
Dallas came into Saturday's opener of this homestand having scored at least four goals in five of its first six games, but was kept off the scoresheet by Nashville and netminder Pekka Rinne in a 1-0 loss.
Rinne made 30 saves, while Stars netminder Keri Lehtonen allowed just one goal, which came 42 seconds into the game, on 24 shots faced as Dallas lost for the second time in three games since starting 4-0.
"You have to appreciate the hard work the guys put in tonight," said Dallas head coach Marc Crawford. "After coming back from the long road trip I thought the guys played a hard game."
The Stars are on their second-longest homestand of the season and won't hit the road again until Nov. 6 in Colorado.
Lehtonen has started Dallas' first seven games, posting a 2.38 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. He is 1-2-0 with a 3.05 GAA in his career versus the Ducks.
Anaheim has alternated victories and losses over its past seven games and failed to win consecutive games for the first time this season on Saturday with a 5-4 loss to Detroit.
Curtis McElhinney made 36 saves, but allowed the winning goal with just 11.4 seconds left in regulation as the Ducks fell to 1-2-0 on their road trip.
"We had a 3-1 lead in the building and then we stopped doing the things we were doing," said Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle. "With the skill level [the Red Wings] have, when you stop playing hockey they're gonna make you pay."
Bobby Ryan had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. Ryan Carter, Danny Syvret and Teemu Selanne all lit the lamp, with Selanne notching the 610th goal of his career to move into a tie with Bobby Hull for 15th on the league's all- time list.
The 40-year-old has scored 34 goals and 71 points in 81 career games versus the Stars, but hasn't scored in his last five games against them. The Finnish forward has just one goal in his last 11 versus Dallas as well.
Rookie blueliner Cam Fowler missed his third straight game due to a broken nose and forward Dan Sexton suffered the same ailment in the first period over the weekend after getting hit in the face by a puck. Sexton is day-to-day but is unlikely to play in this game.
The Ducks will probably go back to No. 1 goaltender Jonas Hiller in net tonight and he is 2-2-1 with a 2.59 GAA lifetime when facing the Stars.
The Stars won all three home games versus the Ducks last year in taking four of six in the season series. Anaheim has just three wins in its last 13 trips to Dallas.