SoCal NHL Preview

Anaheim (10-8-3) at Dallas (9-7-4), 5:30 pm
DALLAS (Ticker) - The Dallas Stars hope to honor Mike Modano with a win on Wednesday night when they host the Anaheim Ducks. There will be a ceremony before the game as part of "Mike Modano Tribute Night" which will honor the the veteran, who recently became the all-time leader in goals and points among American-born players. The 37-year-old Modano, who has five goals and seven assists this season, hopes to celebrate with a victory. A win would be Dallas' third in a row after posting a 3-0 triumph against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. Mike Smith made 22 saves in the contest, registering his first shutout of the season. Smith has performed well this season as Marty Turco's backup, posting a 4-3-0 record with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. The 25-year-old netminder has recorded back-to-back wins and has allowed just five goals over his last four games. Regardless of the goalie, the Stars have their hands full on Wednesday as they face a Ducks team that has won four straight and six of their last eight. Anaheim edged the San Jose Sharks, 2-1, in a shootout during its last contest on Saturday as Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 31 shots. Giguere has started every game during the win streak.


Los Angeles (8-11-1) at Phoenix (8-10-0), 6:30 pm, FSN
GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - The Los Angeles Kings try to end a four-game losing streak when they face the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday. The Kings couldn't end their slide during their last game on Monday, suffering a 3-0 setback to the Dallas Stars. During the slide, the Kings have been outscored 14-6 and have failed to find the back of the net in each of their last two games. The recent offensive struggles are uncharacteristic of a Los Angeles team that is tied for seventh in the NHL with 57 goals this season. The Kings are also likely seeking revenge after losing 1-0 in their last game against the Coyotes on Saturday. Shane Doan scored the lone goal for Phoenix as they managed to crawl out of the basement in the Western Conference. Doan has just four goals this season but leads the Coyotes with 15 points in 18 games this season. The 31-year-old team captain has just two points in his last five games but may be able to turn that around against the Kings, who allow 3.25 goals a game - third worst in the NHL.