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Stars 6, Ducks 3

DALLAS -- Despite trailing 2-1 at the second intermission, the Dallas Stars exploded for a season-high fivegoals in the third period to hand the Anaheim Ducks a 6-3 defeat at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.

Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak and a four-game winless streak on home ice, got goals from center Cody Eakin, defenseman Stephane Robidas and left winger Ryan Garbutt 53 seconds apart in the third to break the game open at 4-2. The Stars also got a second goal of the evening from left winger Antoine Roussel with 7:52 remaining to make it 5-2.

Besides the two goals from Roussel, Dallas also got three-point nights from Eakin and Garbutt and two points each from left winger Erik Cole and center Vernon Fiddler.

Stars backup goaltender Dan Ellis, making his first start since Oct. 19, stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced to earn his second win of the season.

The Ducks made it a two-goal game at 5-3 when left winger Dustin Penner scored at 13:25 of the final period with the visitors on the power play. However, that was as close as Anaheim would get.

Dallas added an empty-netter from rookie Alex Chiasson to ice the game with 58 seconds remaining.

Anaheim took an early lead when right winger Emerson Etem gave the visitors an early lead with his sixth 6:06 into the game, scoring after a nice pass from center Daniel Winnik, who collected a rebound after the initial shot by defenseman Hampus Lindholm was denied by Ellis.

The Ducks held their slim lead until 13:13 of the second when Roussel tied it up with his third of the season after a pass from Fiddler went in off his right skate. Fiddler's pass came from the left faceoff circle and glanced off Roussel's right skate before landing in the back of the Ducks net.

Following a short official review, Roussel was credited with the equalizer as it was determined he did not use a kicking motion on the play.

Dallas clearly had momentum for the rest of the period, at least until Anaheim pulled ahead at 2-1 just 36 seconds before the second intermission when center Nick Bonino beat Ellis short side for his seventh of the season.

Ellis was screened on the goal by Ducks center Kyle Palmieri.

Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller, who left the ice with 2:25 remaining, stopped 27 of 32 shots in the loss but returned to the net after Chiasson's empty-netter.

NOTES: Scratches for the Ducks were D Bryan Allen (who did not travel due to a lower-body injury), RW Tim Jackman and RW Devante Smith-Pelly. ... Scratches for the Stars were D Kevin Connauton, C Dustin Jeffrey and D Aaron Rome. ... Ducks D Mark Fistric played for Dallas between 2007 and 2012 before being traded to the Oilers last January. ... Dan Ellis, Dallas' No. 2 goalie, made his first start since Oct. 19. Kari Lehtonen started 14 consecutive games for the Stars before Tuesday. ... Representatives from six NHL teams -- the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers -- were in the press box. ... Dallas RW Ray Whitney was back on the ice after missing five games with a groin injury. Whitney returned to his customary place on the Stars' second line alongside C Cody Eakin and LW Alex Chiasson. ... The first goal by each team Tuesday came from the fourth line. ... The announced attendance was 15,192.