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NHL on NBCSN: Pacific-leading Ducks take on Stars

Francois Beauchemin, Jamie Benn

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin, left, and Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn fight during the third period of their NHL hockey game, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, in Anaheim, Calif. The Ducks won 6-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Mark J. Terrill

NBCSN continues its coverage of the 2013-14 campaign tonight when the Dallas Stars host the Anaheim Ducks at American Airlines Center at 8:00 p.m. ET. In addition to NBCSN, you can also watch the game online.

By now we know the Western Conference is beastly to deal with. That hasn’t stopped the Anaheim Ducks from picking up where they ended last season, however.

The Ducks are on top of the Pacific Division and head into Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars having won two in a row. Before that, they dropped five straight. Despite numerous injuries throughout the year, the Ducks haven’t let that get them down and that’s mostly thanks to the play of captain Ryan Getzlaf and 2011 MVP Corey Perry.

Getzlaf leads the team in scoring with 27 points and Perry is right behind him with 25. Getzlaf’s point total puts him in the top-five in the NHL. They’re each tied for the team lead in goals with 13, a total that also puts them in the top-five in the league. Their play has also brought the best out of new-old Ducks forward Dustin Penner.

With six goals and 11 assists, Penner is third on the team in points. After last season with the Los Angeles Kings was a big letdown, he’s been outstanding in his return to Anaheim.

One thing the Ducks have had to stress about of late is goaltending. Jonas Hiller has had some struggles recently and Viktor Fasth’s injuries have held him back. Frederik Andersen has been outstanding when he’s played, however, and if he continues to do that, Hiller may need to break in his baseball cap on a more regular basis.

Things haven’t quite gone as they’d hoped in Dallas this season. They’re currently last in the Central Division and have had their struggles at home going just 3-3-2 there. The bright spots are easy to pick out.

Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have been all they could’ve hoped for and they lead the team in scoring with 24 and 23 points respectively. Their play has been strong enough to get them talked about for being on Team Canada for the Olympics after neither was invited to their camp this summer.

Rookie forward Alex Chiasson got off to a quick start but has cooled off recently. Still, his six goals and 13 points are good for third on the team in both categories. A groin injury to Ray Whitney has kept him out of action of late and that has hurt their offensive production.

If there’s one person you can’t blame for their struggles, however, it’s goalie Kari Lehtonen. The Finnish netminder has been rock solid for the Stars this season and his numbers bear that out (.924 SV%, 2.28 GAA). If coach Lindy Ruff can get the defense figured out, they can climb back into the mix in the Central.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT