Recap: Leason, Dostal Lead Ducks to 4-2 Win in Dallas

Brett Leason posted his first career three-point night and Lukas Dostal made 34 saves, guiding the Ducks to a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars tonight at American Airlines Center.

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With the win, Anaheim's second in a row, the Ducks improved to 7-8-2 on the season and 3-3-2 on the road.

Leason led Anaheim offensively with a goal and two assists, his second multi-point performance in his last three games. Olen Zellweger, Cutter Gauthier and Jackson LaCombe also scored for the Ducks, helping the visitors race to a 3-0 lead by the midway point of the second period and capture consecutive wins for the first time this season. Ryan Strome, Pavel Mintyukov, Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn collected assists. Dostal earned his fifth win of the season with stops on 34-of-36 Dallas shots.

Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene for the Stars, who fell to 11-6-0 on the season and saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Goaltender Casey DeSmith made 24 saves.

The first period was all Anaheim, as the Ducks raced out to an early 2-0 lead with multiple strong shifts at the game's start.

The first came on a point shot from Zellweger, who opened the scoring early in the first period much like he did twice on the club's recent homestand, after Strome pulled back an offensive zone faceoff.

Zellweger has four points in his last two games and eight points in 16 appearances this season. The 21-year-old leads Ducks defensemen in nearly every offensive category, including points, goals, assists and power-play points. The assist gave Strome points in three of his last four outings with a +4 rating in that span. The third-year Duck ranks in the top five among team leaders in points, goals and assists this season.

Leason scored a few minutes later, flying down right wing and beating DeSmith with a perfectly placed shot low to the blocker side.

Leason has four points in four games since returning to the lineup on Nov. 10 vs. Columbus.

Dallas had several good looks at getting back within one early in the middle frame, most notably on a breakaway from center Roope Hintz and then a couple of cracks down low on the power play, but Dostal stood tall to keep Anaheim in control.

Ducks winger Brock McGinn left the game in the second period following a collision into the boards with Stars defenseman Thomas Harley. McGinn was helped off the ice and did not return. Harley was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for tripping.

Anaheim would then capitalize on that penalty to one of the Stars' top defenders, with Leason feeding Gauthier in the slot for a one-timer past DeSmith.

Three nights after scoring his first NHL goal, Gauthier has now found the back of the net in consecutive games for the first time in his young career. He's the second-youngest Duck to accomplish that feat, trailing only teammate Trevor Zegras.

The secondary assist extended Killorn's point streak to three games.

Lindell put Dallas on the board early in the third, beating Dostal with a one-timer to the blocker side off the rush.

Frank Vatrano would have a look at restoring Anaheim's three-goal cushion with a clean breakaway against DeSmith midway through the final period, but the veteran netminder answered the call with a blocker save.

And much like Anaheim did in the second period, Dallas then capitalized on its goaltender's heroics with Duchene making it a 3-2 game on a power move to the net and backhand finish around Dostal's left leg pad.

That would be as close as the Stars would get though, as moments later LaCombe delivered a crucial insurance goal to secure Anaheim's road win - crashing the net, taking a pass from Leason in the corner and lifting a backhand bid up top over DeSmith.

The Ducks conclude a two-game road trip Tuesday in Chicago.