A FLICKER OF HOPE STARS KNOW DUCKS' 3-1 LEAD CAN DISAPPEAR.

Byline: Brice Nixon Staff Writer

DALLAS - The Mighty Ducks regained control in their Western Conference semifinal series against Dallas with a 1-0 victory Wednesday, but the Stars can take solace in the fact that the teams playing in the conference's other semifinal are there because they came back from the same 3-1 deficit Dallas faces.

Minnesota and Vancouver both recovered to win three in a row after going down 3-1 in their first-round series.

Dallas coach Dave Tippett knows there is at least a glimmer of hope, and said he would tell his players ``keep your head up, the line between winning and losing is so fine, they found a way to win and we found a way to lose (Wednesday).''

The Ducks are only one victory away from eliminating the Stars, but by no means have they shown vast superiority over them.

Each game has been decided by a single goal, including two in overtime. Of course, all eight games the Ducks have played in the Stanley Cup playoffs have been decided by a single goal.

The only game the Ducks weren't outshot by the Stars was the one they lost. The Stars were 2-1 winners in Game 3. Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has kept the Ducks in every game.

``A bounce here, a break there, that's been the story of the series,'' Stars center Mike Modano said.

Still, most Stars players know the importance of tonight's game.

``This is as desperate as it gets,'' Stars forward Brenden Morrow said. ``For everything we did good this season, all the sweat and hard work to get in first, this would be an awful waste.''

--Power surge: After the Ducks went 0-for-their-first-five playoff games on the power play, they've gotten a power-play goal in each of the past three games. None was bigger than Mike Leclerc's late in Game 4 Wednesday.

The Ducks were 0 for 4 in the game until Leclerc took a cross-ice pass from Sandis Ozolinsh and buried a one-timer with 1:47 remaining, giving the Ducks a 1-0 victory.

Stars center Jason Arnott was called for cross-checking with 3:16 remaining, which led to Leclerc's game-winner. Seven minutes earlier, Arnott was assessed a tripping penalty.

The Ducks built on the better chances and sustained pressure they had on their fourth power play of the game. Arnott wasn't convinced the cross- checking call should have been a penalty.

``It was a penalty. It was called,'' Tippett said. ``You just can't put yourself in that position.''

It didn't seem like the worst position the Stars could put themselves in considering the way the Ducks have struggled on the power play, but it did allow the Ducks to find a way to win again and for Leclerc to get his second game-winner in three games. He scored 1:44 into overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 win in Game 2 in Dallas.

--Dumb penalties: The Ducks were assessed a bench minor penalty for having too many men on the ice for the second consecutive game.

It is the type of penalty that coach Mike Babcock said ``just can't happen.''

It was the fourth time in the playoffs the Ducks were penalized for having too many men on the ice.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

A cloud of ice is left as Ducks winger Patric Kjellberg, left, and Stars defenseman Derian Hatcher go after the puck in Game 4 Wednesday night.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) WESTERN CONFERENCE

(2) EASTERN CONFERENCE