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Tuesday, Mar. 28 7:30pm ET
Stars ruin Kochan's NHL debut | |||||
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BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- If you're at home and give up three goals to the Dallas Stars, don't count on winning the game. Mike Keane scored one of Dallas' two short-handed goals and added two assists as the Stars extended their road unbeaten streak to six games with a 4-2 victory Tuesday night over the Tampa Bay Lightning. "It's a long way from the big shots," said Keane, who recorded his 400th career point for the Stars, who have won an NHL-record 33 straight road games when scoring at least three goals. "Personally, it means a lot." Sylvain Cote, Guy Carbonneau and Mike Modano scored in the first seven minutes as the Stars virtually locked up the Pacific Division title. Dallas holds an 11-point lead over Los Angeles. Modano was held out of the third period because of a hip flexor injury. His status is day to day. "He might miss tomorrow (Wednesday against Florida), but we'll see," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Worst case, he'll be back Sunday against Colorado." "I'm going to take it day by day," Modano said. "We'll see at game time tomorrow and see how it feels." Vincent Lecavalier recorded his team-leading 22nd goal for Tampa Bay (17-50-8), which became the second team in NHL history to lose 50 games in three consecutive seasons. The Pittsburgh Penguins did it from 1982-83 through 1984-85. Todd Warriner scored a short-handed goal with 1.5 seconds left in the second period for the Lightning, who have lost five straight and seven consecutive at home. Tampa Bay is 3-13-3 against Dallas. It was just the second time three short-handed goals have been scored in a Lightning game. The other was Dec. 23, 1993 at St. Louis. Tampa Bay goalie Dieter Kochan, signed as a free agent Monday from Binghamton of the United Hockey League, allowed three goals on six shots before being pulled just 6:44 in. Dan Cloutier stopped all 11 shots, but was forced out of the game after he strained a knee ligament early in the second period. Kochan returned and allowed Keane's short-handed goal on the first shot he faced. "As funny as it sounds, I felt pretty relaxed out there," said Kochan, who allowed four goals on 17 shots. "After the first period, I got a little better." Cloutier is listed as day to day. Cote snapped a 21-game goal-scoring drought during a 2-on-1 at 1:25 of the first. After Lecavalier tied it 18 seconds later, Carbonneau made it 2-1 at 3:17. Modano -- who has a league-best 21 goals and 43 points since Jan. 20 -- put the Stars up two goals with a short-handed goal at 6:44. He has scored in four straight games. "We've had trouble making a save, let's not kind ourselves about that," Lightning coach Steve Ludzik said. "That has been our Achilles' heel all season." It was the second time in three games the Stars have scored two short-handed goals. Dallas' Blake Sloan returned after missing 15 games with a hairline fracture in his left leg and had an assist. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Dallas Clubhouse Tampa Bay Clubhouse RECAPS Washington 5 Atlanta 2
Dallas 4 AUDIO/VIDEO   Guy Carbonneau beats goalie Dieter Kochan for the Stars' second goal of the night.avi: 555 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1   | |||||