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The Anaheim Ducks open the playoffs as the Wests top seed and hope to get a quick start on Wednesday when they host the Dallas Stars at the Honda Center for Game 1 of a best-of-seven series. You can catch all of the action live on TSN with coverage beginning at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. Few teams looked as unbeatable as the Ducks at the start of the season. But after a dominating effort for a good part of the season, Anaheim started to slip a bit heading into the Olympic break and had posted a mark of just 14-12-3 during a 29-game span from Jan. 17-April 6. The Ducks then capped the regular season with four straight victories, but presumed playoff starter Jonas Hiller was not in net for any of those games. Hiller, in fact, did not play in seven of Anaheims final eight games and has not won since March 26. Still, head coach Bruce Boudreau is likely to go with Hiller over the inexperienced Frederik Andersen and John Gibson, neither of whom have ever played in an NHL playoff game. Hillers postseason numbers are not terrible, with the 32-year-old pending free agent having gone 10-10 with a 2.31 goals against average, .935 save percentage and three shutouts in 20 games. Given the fact that the Ducks led the NHL with 3.21 goals per game this season, Boudreau may be able to roll the dice with Hiller and hope the netminder can recapture the form that saw him post a club-record 14-game winning streak from Dec. 6-Jan. 12. Forward Corey Perry was second in the league with 43 goals to go along with a plus-32 rating, while center Ryan Getzlaf finished fifth in the NHL with 56 assists and second to only Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby in points with 87. Ducks winger Teemu Selanne is expected to retire at seasons end and the 43- year-old could have some extra juice for this postseason. He comes into the series having totaled 42 goals and 82 points in 118 career playoff games. "This is the best time for hockey players," Selanne said. "Youve got to enjoy every day and every moment. Every little thing matters. Even a little thing can turn the whole series around." The Stars overhauled their identity this past offseason in an effort to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008. It worked. Under the guidance of first-year coach Lindy Ruff and offensive threat Tyler Seguin, the Stars claimed the Western Conferences second wild card position. Sure, they got some help from a slumping Phoenix Coyotes club, which had lost seven straight before beating the Stars in a meaningless regular-season finale, and Dallas did just enough by going 3-4-0 down the stretch, but the results are in the bottom line. And what a line it was for Seguin, who the Stars acquired this past offseason from the Boston Bruins. The 22-year-old brought rumors of immaturity with him to Dallas, but with the Stars all he did was show the skill that led to him being the second overall pick of the 2010 draft. Seguin led Dallas across the board with 37 goals, 47 assists and 84 points -- all career highs -- and now brings 42 games of playoff experience to the Stars. Seguin has six goals and 12 assists in the postseason and was part of the Cup- winning 2010-11 Bruins club. His presence also helped Stars captain Jamie Benn soar to new heights. The winger set new career highs with 34 goals, 45 assists and 79 points in 81 games, and the duo of Seguin and Benn was a big reason that the Stars finished 10th in the NHL with 2.82 goals per game. Six other Dallas skaters reached double figures in goals, including Ryan Garbutt (17 goals) and Cody Eakin and Erik Cole, who had 16 goals apiece. Rookies Valeri Nichushkin (10th overall pick of the 2010 draft) and Alex Chiasson also were steady contributors and Dallas has veteran depth in Ray Whitney and Shawn Horcoff. Defensively, Alex Goligoski had an excellent campaign, with his 42 points a career high and his best total since logging 37 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009-10. However, inexperience could be an issue in net with No. 1 Kari Lehtonen, who owns just two career playoff games to his resume and none since 2006-07 with the Atlanta Thrashers. He was solid this regular season, going 33-20-10 with a 2.41 goals against average and .919 save percentage. Should Lehtonen struggle early, Ruff will have the option of going to veteran Tim Thomas, acquired at this years trade deadline. Thomas didnt wow in eight games with Dallas, but has outstanding playoff numbers at 29-21 with a 2.07 GAA, .933 save percentage and six shutouts. Of course, he also won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy with Boston in 2011. The Stars won two of their three meetings with the Ducks this season, with the clubs exchanging 6-3 home victories before Dallas claimed a 2-0 win at Anaheim on Feb. 1. Lehtonen did not face the Ducks this season and is 9-7-3 with a 2.41 GAA against them in 19 career meetings. Hiller went 0-2 with a 3.91 GAA in three meetings this season, pulled in the first meeting in Anaheim back on Oct. 20. "We know them well and we?ve had some success against them," said Goligoski. "Theyre fast and theyre a bigger team, and they obviously had a great season. Were looking forward to the challenge." This marks the third all-time playoff meeting between these clubs and first since the Stars bested the Ducks in six games during the 2008 Western Conference quarterfinals. That avenged a six-game series loss to Anaheim in the 2003 semifinals. Anaheim also will host Game 2 of this series on Friday. The Ducks were 29-8-4 as the home team this season, while Dallas was just 17-20-4 as the visitors. Projected Ducks Lines Beleskey - Getzlaf - PerryWinnik - Bonino - PalmieriCogliano - Koivu - SilfverbergMaroon - Perrault - Selanne Lindholm - BeaucheminFowler - Lovejoy Allen - Robidas Anderson starts Projected Stars Lines Benn - Seguin - NichushkinRoussel - Eakin - GarbuttCole - Fiddler - SceviourWhitney - Horcoff - Chiasson Goligoski - DaleyNemoth - BennRome - Gonchar Lehtonen starts Scarpe Stan Smith Outlet . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. Stan Smith Uomo Saldi .com) - There may be a debate in Philadelphia about who should be the starting quarterback of the Eagles. http://www.stansmithscontate.it/. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldnt make it to the finish. Stan Smith Offerta . General manager David Poile called signing Ribeiro a great opportunity to add a talented, experienced and creative centre Tuesday when he introduced the veteran at a news conference. Ribeiros contract is worth $1.05 million after being bought out of the final three years of a $22 million contract by the Coyotes recently. Stan Smith Scontate . Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane came up big when it counted, tallying two goals and an assist. He scored the game-winner with 4:45 remaining in the third period, stopping on the right hashmarks, carrying the puck up through the top of the Kings zone, then firing a wrist shot from the top of the circles past Jonathan Quick, who had his view obstructed by Andrew Shaw.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Down two defenceman most of the game, the New York Rangers still managed to earn a point against the Winnipeg Jets.Thanks to excellent goaltending by Ondrej Pavelec, the Jets pulled out a 1-0 victory over the Rangers on shootout goals by Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler on Saturday night.Pavelec made 36 saves in regulation and two in overtime, including a stop on Martin St. Louis breakaway. He allowed a goal to Mats Zuccarello to start the shootout but denied the next three attempts.The shutout was his first this season as the Jets improved to 5-5-1.Good for him, Jets coach Paul Maurice said. Pav was our best player by far. He really earned this win for us.The Rangers (5-4-1) were forced to play with only four defencemen for the final two periods and overtime after captain Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein were injured in the first period.McDonagh sustained a separated shoulder on a hard check into the boards by Kane. Klein left with a bruised foot after he blocked a shot.McDonagh was forced out when his left shoulder was rammed into the boards behind the New York net with just over eight minutes left in the first. McDonagh hurt the same shoulder last April against Vancouver, forcing him to miss the final five regular-season games.McDonagh and Klein will be re-evaluated on Sunday.The Rangers continued with only Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Matt Hunwick and Mike Kostka on defence. Girardi played a career-high 34 minutes, 50 seconds, Staal skated for 29:33, Hunwick logged 27:58, and Kostka 21:56.It was a great opportunity for a couple of guys to get more minutes, and I thought they played outstanding, Lundqvist said. We had so many good opportunities to win this one. We played with poise and we were smart.The Rangers will host St. Louis on Monday in their next game, likely without new captain McDonagh.Its hard, and we are going to have to rally around him, not only as defencemen, as a team, Staal said. You cant replace a guy like that.New Yorkk was already missing John Moore, who served the first game of a five-game suspension, and fellow defenceman Dan Boyle, who broke a hand in the season opener.ddddddddddddMoore was suspended for five games after his hit to the head of Minnesotas Erik Haula on Monday.Kostka hadnt played since Oct. 14 when he committed two turnovers that directly led to New York Islanders goals.Rangers coach Alain Vigneault saw positives despite the loss.Our four defencemen logged tons of minutes. Our forwards did a great job of working their way back and giving help, Vigneault said. We played one of our best games of the season.The shutout was the second this season for New Yorks Henrik Lundqvist and 52nd of his NHL career. He made 25 saves, including a glove stop on a shot by Toby Enstrom with just under two minutes left in the third period.Its tough to lose in a shootout, but I thought we battled hard for most of the game, Staal said. Hank was swallowing rebounds all night which makes our job a lot easier.New York, which hadnt played since a furious comeback win over Minnesota on Monday, struggled again on the power play — going 0 for 5.. The Rangers have only two man-advantage goals in 10 games this season.The Jets played the third game of a four-game trip that ends Sunday at Chicago. They beat the Islanders and lost in a shootout to New Jersey since the Rangers previous game.We always enjoy playing in New York, Kane said. It was an ugly game for the most part, but Pav did a great job of getting us in it. Im glad I was in position for the winner.NOTES: Lundqvist passed Gump Worsley for second on the Rangers career games played list among goalies with his 583rd. Mike Richter leads with 666. ... The Jets have the longest streak in the NHL without a hat trick. Their last three-goal game was by Eric Boulton on Dec. 18, 2010, when the franchise was the Atlanta Thrashers. ... The Rangers scratched forward Ryan Malone. Kevin Hayes returned to the lineup. ' ' '