(My Sportsbook) - The Anaheim Ducks will try to avoid their first loss versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in almost six years, as the two clubs square off tonight at the Honda Center.

The Ducks have won their last three meetings versus the Lightning, including a 4-3 victory in Tampa when the clubs last met on December 9, 2006. Anaheim hasn't been defeated by the Lightning since February 25, 2003 in Tampa.

Tampa Bay also hasn't won in Anaheim since October 14, 2001, though the clubs have just met once in California since, a 4-2 meeting won by the Ducks in 2006.

Anaheim begins a three-game homestand tonight after splitting its home-and- home set with the Kings. The Ducks captured a 3-1 home win over Los Angeles on Tuesday before falling in LA, 4-3, on Thursday night.

The Kings raced out to a three-goal lead before the Ducks' Bobby Ryan posted a natural hat trick in a 2:21 span that spanned both the second and third periods. It was the first hat trick of Ryan's career and it came in his 47th career contest. Ryan, the second-overall pick of the 2005 draft behind Sidney Crosby, has 11 goals and 14 assists in 25 games this year after notching five goals and five helpers in 23 games last season, his first in the NHL.

Los Angeles' Alexander Frolov, though, put the Kings ahead for good midway through the third frame after beating Jonas Hiller on the power play to give the Ducks their third loss in the last five games. Hiller allowed two goals on 16 shots to get the loss in relief Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who was pulled after yielding two goals on 10 shots.

Giguere did not get a decision and he is 0-2-0 over his last five starts with a 3.60 goals against average. However, he is 4-1-0 with a 1.85 GAA lifetime versus the Lighting. Hiller, meanwhile, has never faced Tampa Bay but had won three straight starts with a 1.34 GAA before taking the loss last night.

The Ducks begin a three-game homestand tonight and have posted points in three straight as the host (2-0-1). They are 12-8-3 overall as the home team and will get Corey Perry back for Sunday's test versus New Jersey. Perry will serve the final game tonight of his four-game suspension he received after elbowing Philadelphia's Claude Giroux in a setback last Friday.

The Lighting have lost four of their last five and have split the first two contests of its current five-game road trip. After a 4-1 victory over Atlanta last Sunday, Tampa was dealt a 3-2 loss in Phoenix last night.

Jeff Halpern had a goal and an assist and Andrej Meszaros also scored in the loss. Vaclav Prospal and Mark Recchi added assists.

With Olaf Kolzig still out due to an upper-body injury, Mike Smith made his 11th straight start and halted 24-of-27 shots faced. He is 4-5-2 over his last 11 starts with a 2.50 GAA.

He does have excellent career numbers versus Anaheim, going 3-0-0 in four career games (3 starts) against the club. He has stopped 79-of-81 shots in that span while posting a 0.60 GAA and .975 save percentage.

The Lightning, who fell back into last place in the Southeast Division after last night's loss, are 7-12-3 as the road club this season. Tampa trails Atlanta by one point in the standings.