SoCal NHL Preview

Anaheim (41-25-8) at Dallas (42-27-5), 5:30 pm, FSN

DALLAS (Ticker) - The Anaheim Ducks aim for a third straight win when they visit the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Anaheim, which is three points behind San Jose (43-21-9) for first in the Pacific Division, will be without captain Chris Pronger for the most important stretch of its season.

A five-time All-Star defenseman, Pronger was suspended eight games on Saturday for stomping on the leg of Vancouver's Ryan Kesler last Wednesday. Anaheim, which is one point ahead of Dallas in the Pacific, won its first game without Pronger on Saturday. Rob Niedermayer scored twice and Mathieu Schneider had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over St. Louis.

This is not an unfamiliar position for the Ducks, who won the Stanley Cup last season despite Pronger getting suspended for Game 4 after elbowing Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in the head. Pronger is eligible to return on April 6 - the last day of the regular season - so the Ducks will have to try and wrap up their second straight division title without him. Meanwhile, the Stars hope to benefit from Pronger's absence and snap out of their funk. Dallas is 1-5-0 in its last six games and is currently four points back of San Jose.

The Stars, who are 5-0-1 vs. Anaheim this season, are coming off a 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Saturday. Johan Holmqvist, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, was pulled after allowing three first-period goals.