Just a quick hit today.

The Anaheim Ducks won their season-high fourth game in a row with a 2-0 whitewashing of the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night at the Honda Center.

Ryan Miller dazzled between the pipes for his 8th win of the year. The veteran back-up's been victorious in his last two starts, hasn't allowed a goal in his last two appearances and kicked aside 91 of 94 shots faced in the previous three appearances - all Anaheim wins.  He's been a difference maker and that's all you can asked from your tender.

Thanks to Miller's heroics, we get to enjoy the fruit of Bob Murray's labor with Miller. The former Vezina winner was brought in as insurance policy for the oft-injured John Gibson. So far he's earned every penny of the $2 million deductible. Kudos to Murray for having the foresight to get a solid vet between the pipes. We should be used to this in Anaheim. The duel goalie system has been a staple of the Ducks for several seasons.

Miller was on the top of his game in a big time Western Conference showdown with big time playoff implications and intensity. Miller stopped 41 shots for his 42nd career shutout and third this season as the Ducks moved back into third place in the Pacific with 73 points. Dallas remains third in the Central at 72 points.

Miller wasn't the only star shining bright like a diamond. Ryan Getzlaf put together another yoeman-like performance. The captain had an assist on Hampus Lindholm's PPG in the first period and brought the barn down with an electrifying third period SHG.

With Anaheim surviving the first penalty of a 5-on-3, Getzlaf left the penalty box and took a long pass from Francois Beauchemin. Dallas goalie Ben Bishop came out to challenge Getz for the puck - it didn't end well.

Getzlaf deftly chipped the bisquit over the sprawled netminder before reeling the puck back in and burying it for his 11th multi-point game this season.

Getzlaf has three points (1g 2a) in two games following a lengthy cold spell.

My great big takeaway is this: Dallas had plenty of opportunities to bury the Ducks, but goaltending kept them in it and their best player was at his best when his team needed it most. That is the main ingredient in the Ducks recipe for success.

- Getzlaf has 38 points (8g 30a) in 38 games this season and 111 points in 112 games over the last two seasons. Remember the last time I was the Ducks blogger with Hockeybuzz and I said the Cap was washed up? Yeah, well...I'm thrilled I was wrong.

- Hampus Lindholm is my player to watch down the stretch. Without Sami Vatanen in the fold, he was supposed to be the guy. I'm still waiting. He took a nice first step in Wed.

- If the Ducks win in Arizona on Saturday it will equal their longest winning streak from all of last season and the longest since an 11 game win streak in March of 2016.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

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