• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Eriksson, Turco help Stars edge Ducks

Mar 7, 2009 - 7:31 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Loui Eriksson scored two goals and Marty Turco made 36 saves as the Dallas Stars edged the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, on Friday in a battle of Pacific Division foes.

Mike Ribeiro scored a power-play goal and Steve Ott notched two assists for the Stars, who moved into a three-way tie with Nashville and Columbus for the sixth spot in the crowded Western Conference playoff picture.

"To this group's credit, we rallied around it. That's the type of mentality we have to have to collect points and stay in the playoff picture," Turco said. "We did that. It was a great effort tonight from everybody.

"It was something that we needed. Those guys poured it on and we were surviving. It was a good time to see it. That being said, we have a quick turnaround with an afternoon game on Sunday back home. We've just got to stick with it."

Newly acquired James Wisniewski and rookie Bobby Ryan each tallied for Anaheim, which has dropped two in a row and three of four overall.

"We made some mistakes and we paid for it," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "I cannot complain with the work ethic. We have to rally our troops for Sunday and not be down with this."

Ribeiro opened the scoring with his 17th goal at 1:45 of the first period on the man advantage and Eriksson doubled the lead with 5:21 remaining in the second.

"I think the points are to crucial to worry about carry-over, or all the rest of that stuff," Ott said. "The battles are still going to be there, but there's definitely no carryover (from the last Anaheim game), it's too important."

Wisniewski, who was traded from Chicago along with center Petri Kontiola for Samuel Pahlsson before the NHL trade deadline expired on Wednesday, cut the deficit at 7:31 of the third by taking a pass from Corey Perry and firing a slap shot past Turco for his third tally of the campaign.

Eriksson struck again 77 seconds later to stake Dallas to a 3-1 bulge, skating down the left side of the ice before unleashing a shot that hit blue-liner Scott Niedermayer's stick and sailed past Jean-Sebastien Giguere's right shoulder.

"It was really important. We needed points," Eriksson said. "We got the points. That is so important for us right now. I think we had a solid game. Turco was really good for us again today and we got the two points.

"It's a team game, and the new guys have really stepped up here. Like I said, it was a big win for us today, and I think the whole group did a great job."

Ryan, who leads all rookies in scoring, registered his 23rd goal of the season with 2:32 remaining in the contest but the Ducks were unable to solve Turco in the waning minutes.

"We don't do anything easy around here," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "Just the fact you go through those hard things. You are finding ways to win games. It gives the team confidence."

Making his seventh straight start, Giguere turned aside 13 shots.

"Everybody is going to beat each other, and it's going to be real tough," Giguere said. "Obviously, we want to get the points here at home. It's not about the other team right now, it's about us trying to win games and trying to put ourselves in a good situation. It's up to us."