Dallas Stars 3, Vancouver Canucks 2 (SO)

by Mark Stepneski of of Andrew's Stars Page

For the second straight game the Dallas Stars found themselves down 2-0 in the first period, but this time they were able to overcome the deficit. The Stars rallied to tie the game in regulation and then beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a shootout Sunday night at General Motors Place.

"We were scratching and clawing for points and we got two, so we are happy with that," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "Some guys gave us real gritty performances tonight. We had to battle some travel and back-to-back games and I was very proud of our guys and how we hung in there."

Mike Modano scored at even strength and Mike Ribeiro scored on the power play to rally the Stars in regulation and then Loui Eriksson, Modano and James Neal scored in the shootout for the Stars, who got a 33- save performance from goalie Marty Turco.

"Tonight, even though we gave up a couple early it felt like we had a better start," Turco said. "We certainly played a lot better and tonight, we capitalized on some chances. We got pretty fortunate there at the end to pull out a win."

The Stars, who are 10-5-1 in their last 16 games, pushed their record to 17-16-5 and pulled to within two points of the eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

"Points are so big right now and we've got to do everything we can to get them," said Neal, who had a key assist in regulation and scored the game deciding goal in the shootout. "We didn't play well [in Edmonton Saturday night] and it showed. We came out a little rough in the first period tonight, but we found a way to win the shootout."

The Stars had travel problems Saturday night and were forced to make the trip to Vancouver from Edmonton on Sunday, making for an odd game day routine.

"It felt like the old minor league days," Turco joked.

The game didn't get off to a good start when Vancouver's Kyle Wellwood and Darcy Hordichuk scored first period goals to stake the Canucks to a 2-0 lead.

But the Stars cut the lead to 2-1 with ten seconds left in the first period when Neal came down the right wing and flipped the puck to Modano, who beat LaBarbera with a shot from the slot to make it 2-1 heading into the second period.

“It was a big goal and gave us something positive to go into the next period,” said Modano. “It was a great play by Neal.”

Turco kept it a one-goal game early in the second, making nice stops on Alexandre Burrows and Shane O'Brien. The Canucks then got in penalty trouble later in the period, taking a too many on the ice penalty to put the Stars on the power play. While shorthanded Canucks forward Ryan Kesler took a roughing minor on Neal, giving the Stars a five-on-three power play.

Ribeiro scored from the bottom of the right faceoff circle off a feed from Jere Lehtinen just as the five-on-three expired to put tie the game 2-2 with 6:09 left in the period.

"I took a bad penalty. I can't be doing that," said Kessler. "I hurt the team."

Turco and Canucks goalie Jason LaBarbera, who had 34 saves on the night, were both sharp in a scoreless third period. LaBarbera made a great stop on Steve Ott early in the third off the rush. He then made a spectacular glove save on Ribeiro's point blank shot with the Stars on a power play later in the period. Moments later Turco made a nice stop on Wellwood with the Canucks on a two-on-one break.

The Stars outshot the Canucks 6-1 in overtime, but LaBarbera made several nice stops to force the shootout, but LaBarbera finally cracked.

With Vancouver up 2-1 in the shootout, LaBarbera had to stop Modano for the win and appeared to have stopped Modano's wrist shot with his glove hand, but the puck got through him and trickled over the goal line to keep the Stars alive.

“I just tried to get a shot and get it up high,” Modano said, “and I think he knew it was going high but I got it just under his glove.”

Turco stopped Burrows and then Neal scored off a snap shot to give the Stars their fifth win in their last six games that have gone beyond regulation.

"You get to a shootout and anything can happen," said Tippett. "We found a way to get two points."

Shootouts haven't been kind to the Canucks, who lost their second straight game and both have come in the shootout. They are 1-5 in shootouts this season.

LaBarbera, making his third straight start for the Canucks since being acquired from Los Angeles last week, has made an impression on his new teammates.

"He's really playing well for us," said Kessler. "He's keeping us in games. If we could have popped another goal for him we would have won."

And LaBarbera drew high praise from the guy at the other end of the ice as well.

"Jason played awesome tonight. He made some great saves," said Turco. "He was great tonight. It's great to see him come up here and play well and fill the void for Vancouver."

Notes: Stars forward Landon Wilson, who was injured in Saturday night's game in Edmonton, sat out with what was being called an upper body injury by the team. He was replaced in the lineup by Chris Conner.

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