Stars-Ducks : "they're Bigger, Stronger, Faster! They've Got More Facial Hair!"

It is officially time for the Anaheim Ducks to find the proverbial "red button" and push it.  It's panic mode time!

After game 3 in Dallas, the Ducks had finally shown some promise.  They had walked into the American Airlines Center, and silenced a boisterous Dallas crowd.  They had also effectively killed the momentum Dallas had built up over games 1 and 2.

So game 4 should be a continuation of game 3 right?  Wrong!

The Ducks decided that playing as they did in games 1 and 2 seemed more appealing, and mentally were about as flat as can be expected.

In the first period, which only saw a combined 12 shots and 3 penalties, the game looked fairly even.  It possibly even favored Anaheim slightly.  At least until the 16:39 mark, when Joel Lundqvist received a pass from fellow Swede Loui Eriksson, putting the Stars ahead 1-0.

Immediately the Ducks went into what looked like Panic Mode 101.

The second period was a penalty fest.  The two teams combined for 7 penalties in the period, and scored a total of...zero goals.  It was a defensive battle that Anaheim won, outshooting the Stars 10-5 in the period.

Anaheim should quit panicking right?  Only down one goal, outshooting the Stars a combined 17-10, and stymieing any thoughts Dallas might have had of getting a second goal... Well, in theory that's a positive period.

Instead, the Ducks resumed the overall flat play.

The Stars stormed out of the gate on a mission.

Nine minutes into the third, Stu Barnes received a Hail Mary pass that sent him in on Jean-Sebastien Giguere one on one.  With that opportunity, Barnes does what anyone with that chance hopes to do, beats the netminder and puts the Stars up 2-0.

Eight minutes later, it's Barnes again, this time passing the puck to Steve Ott, who slams the puck home to put Dallas up by 3 with less than 3 minutes remaining.

That put the icing on the cake, if you happen to be a Stars fan.

Even Mathieu Schneider's goal with 8 seconds left was too little, too late. Anaheim has every nail in their coffin but one.

Tonight marks game 5, and possibly the beginning of golfing season for Anaheim.  What do they have to do to sustain pressure against a Stars team showing more grit and determination than has been seen in years?

A THOUGHT... "Mathasar, activate the Omega 13!"