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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
PHOENIX (AP) -- Brilliant goaltending, opportunistic scoring and
clutch defense is keeping the Phoenix Coyotes' great start going.
Jeremy Roenick tied the game in the third period, and Phoenix
held on for a 2-2 draw with the Dallas Stars that ran its unbeaten
streak to 11 games Friday night.
|  | | Stars goalie Ed Belfour needed just 15 saves to earn a tie against the Coyotes, who were outshot 32-17 by Dallas. |
The Coyotes got a 30-save effort from Sean Burke, who went in
leading the NHL in most goaltending categories. They also got a
short-handed goal from Trevor Letowski to offset the team's lull in
power-play scoring.
"It's tough to come back," said Letowski, who scored during a
5-on-3 Dallas advantage. "Killing that two-man was the turning
point. If they score then, we're in a big hole."
Phoenix was unable to score with a man advantage for the fourth
straight game since special-teams quarterback Joe Juneau injured
his shoulder.
Shaun Van Allen and Joe Nieuwendyk scored for the Stars.
Phoenix is 7-0-4 since its only loss of the season. During the
streak, the Coyotes have been outshot 10 times, including 32-17 by
the Stars.
But it took just 12 shots for the Coyotes to get their second
goal against Dallas goalie Ed Belfour, who shut out Columbus on
Wednesday.
Roenick was waiting outside the crease when Shane Doan, playing
on the first line because of a pregame injury to Keith Tkachuk,
passed across the slot from the opposite circle. Roenick jammed it
in on the near side 9:15 into the final period.
"We let up," Stars defenseman Derian Hatcher said. "We had
it. I don't know if it was us giving up too soon or them coming
back. You could say we played well, but we didn't hold on."
Dallas outshot the Coyotes 14-4 in the first period, and this
time it was too much for Burke, the NHL's player of the month in
October.
He stopped the first 11 shots, but was falling to the ice when
Van Allen lifted his own rebound into the top of the net as Burke
sprawled across the goal mouth with 3:10 left in the first period.
"The shots weren't as indicative of play as they are some
nights," Burke said. "They had a lot of longer shots in the first
period. I thought their best scoring chances came in the second and
in overtime. Looking at their scoring chances, we were probably
pretty close there in the first period."
The Coyotes lost Juneau with a shoulder strain and played this
game without Tkachuk, who experienced back spasms during warmups.
As a result, they were scoreless in three power plays and are
0-for-14 without Juneau.
It didn't hurt their penalty killers, though. Letowski, who set
a franchise record for short-handed goals by a rookie (four) last
season, scored with 7:14 left in the second period.
He got the puck in the neutral zone when a pass by Dallas hit
the skate of Juha Ylonen and deflected to him. Letowski sped to the
circle and fired a wrist shot that drifted in between Belfour's
legs with 7:14 left in the second period.
"Even though we came out of that a wash, because they scored
one right after, I thought it got us going and inspired the
crowd," coach Bob Francis said about the short-handed goal.
Dallas still had 1:22 left in its fourth power play, and the
Stars capitalized with five seconds left.
Brenden Morrow sent a pass from high in the circle to
Nieuwendyk, who redirected it past Burke on the near side with 5:57
remaining in the second.
"When we play like that we are going to win a lot of hockey
games," Van Allen said. "We have to give their goalie a lot of
credit."
Game notes
The Coyotes are 2-0-4 in overtime to Dallas' 0-1-2. ...
Mika Alatalo moved to left wing to replace Tkachuk, and Doan moved
up to play right wing. ... The game was the 800th of Dallas C Mike
Modano's career. ... Burke has allowed more than two goals just
once -- a 6-3 win over Philadelphia on Oct. 14 -- in 11 starts. ...
Dallas is 8-3-2 at America West Arena.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Buffalo 5
Montreal 4
Chicago 6
Detroit 1
Tampa Bay 4
NY Islanders 3
Colorado 5
Carolina 3
Edmonton 3
Minnesota 0
Dallas 2
Phoenix 2
Pittsburgh 4
Vancouver 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Trevor Letowski hops out of the box in time for the puck and beats Ed Belfour for the goal.
avi: 707 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Shaun Van Allen scores on the second effort.
avi: 768 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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