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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- Being outshot 39-15 in a must-win game on the road
isn't the usual formula for success. But thanks to Ed Belfour, the
Dallas Stars have regained home-ice advantage.
Belfour was brilliant in goal, recording 38 saves to lead the
Stars to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Brett Hull had two goals and an assist as the Stars squared the
best-of-seven Western Conference finals at 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday
night in Dallas.
|  | | Richard Matvichuk scored an insurance goal for the Stars, who connected on four of 15 shots on Avs goalie Patrick Roy. |
Mike Modano added three assists for Dallas, which scored four
goals on its first 11 shots.
"We're sitting here at 2-2 with three games left, two at
home," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Our team feels pretty
good about itself right now.
"We got the win in this building that we badly needed. Colorado
plays perfect in this building. We play really well in our
building, too. The game changes dramatically when it goes into our
building now."
Hitchcock, who switched his lines in an effort to inject life
into a squad that was shut out twice in the first three games of
the series, said Hull's second goal was critical.
"They scored their goal after an unfortunate turnover (to make
it 2-1), and we were on our heels," Hitchcock said. "That goal by
Hull was huge for us."
But Hitchcock reserved most of his praise for Belfour.
"Eddie was terrific," Hitchcock said. "He's been terrific the
whole series. He's played four great hockey games."
Belfour said he "felt real strong the whole game and I was
seeing the puck real well. All I had to do was make the first save.
Guys took care of the rebounds."
Belfour, who has had 38 saves in two straight games, admitted,
"They were definitely two strong games for me."
Asked about the shot imbalance, Belfour said, "I don't pay
attention to the board. I try and stay focused on making the next
save."
Hitchcock agreed, saying in a reference to golf, "They don't
put pictures on the scorecard."
Said Hull, "We weren't concerned about the number of shots. We
concentrated on not making mistakes first, and then making the most
of the shots when we got them."
Patrick Roy stopped 11 shots for Colorado, which lost for the
first time at home in the playoffs after seven wins.
"Dallas played well with the lead, and whenever we had a good
scoring chance, Belfour was there," Colorado coach Bob Hartley
said. "We had great pressure and we put tons of pucks at the nets.
But it's not the number of shots, it's the number of goals."
Joe Nieuwendyk and Hull scored first-period goals as Dallas,
despite being outshot 10-4, took a 2-0 lead.
Nieuwendyk, stationed to the right of the goal, took a pass from
Jamie Langenbrunner from behind the net and beat Roy on a power
play at 7:12.
It was Nieuwendyk's fifth goal of the playoffs but his first
point in this series.
Hull scored his sixth goal of the playoffs at 17:30. Modano
intercepted Dave Andreychuk's pass and fed Hull in the slot.
Colorado missed a prime scoring chance later in the period.
Belfour stopped Milan Hejduk's shot and Peter Forsberg batted the
rebound toward the goal, but Joe Sakic hit the post from just left
of the crease.
The Avalanche turned up the pressure in the second period,
outshooting the Stars 21-4 in the period, but Dallas emerged with
its two-goal advantage intact.
Colorado's Dave Reid made it 2-1, beating Belfour from the left
circle after a turnover by Modano at 1:43.
But the Stars countered six minutes later. Modano slapped the
puck along the right boards to Hull, who scored from the right
circle at 7:52.
Belfour kicked away Forsberg's rebound shot from point-blank
range, and the Stars also withstood a 5-on-3 disadvantage for 1:04.
After Richard Matvichuk's rebound goal at 4:39 of the third
period, the game deteriorated into a series of fights and
skirmishes, including fighting majors against Dallas' Derian
Hatcher and Colorado's Adam Deadmarsh. Dallas' Scott Thornton was
assessed a 10-minute game misconduct with two minutes left.
Colorado defenseman Adam Foote, who missed Game 3 with an eye
injury, returned to the lineup, as did Dallas forward Brenden
Morrow, who broke his right ankle just eight days earlier in Game
1.
Morrow was thought to be out for the remainder of the playoffs
after he was injured in Game 1 of the series.
Play was delayed for eight minutes early in the third period to
replace a panel of glass that shattered on Ray Bourque's clearing
pass.
The teams also met in the conference finals last year, and
Dallas won the series 4-3 en route to winning the Stars' first
Stanley Cup title.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Ed belfour makes a miraculous save against Colorado.
avi: 727 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Brett Hull roofs the puck over Patrick Roy head for the goal.
avi: 759 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Joe Nieuwendyk makes a circus slap shot for the goal.
avi: 864 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Brett Hull says goaltending could decide the series with Colorado.
wav: 111 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bob Hartley says Dallas played well against Colorado on Sunday.
wav: 155 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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