head coach: Ken Hitchcock

roster: C-Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bob Bassen. LW-Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Juha Lind, Bob Errey, Patrick Cote. RW-Todd Harvey, Pat Verbeek, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jere Lehtinen, Grant Marshall. D-Derian Hatcher, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Shawn Chambers, Richard Matvichuck, Sergei Zubov, Sergey Gusev, Dan Keczmer, Craig Muni. G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek.

injuries: Richard Matvichuk, d (knee, 4 weeks); Bob Bassen, c (hand, day-to-day); Todd Harvey, rw (knee, day-to-day); Greg Adams, lw (sprained left knee, 4-6 weeks); Patrick Cote, lw (shoulder, indefinite).

transactions: Assigned Juha Lind, lw, and Jamie Wright, f, to Michigan (IHL); placed Richard Matvichuk, d, on injured reserve due to a torn ACL; activated Todd Harvey, rw, from injured reserve; recalled Juha Lind from Michigan.

standings:

Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
Dallas       51  32  11   8    72  155  103
Detroit      52  29  13  10    68  160  117
St Louis     52  26  19   7    59  151  130
Phoenix      50  22  20   8    52  141  137
Chicago      50  20  21   9    49  121  117
Toronto      48  17  24   7    41  117  138

game results:

1/12 at San Jose   W 3-1
1/14 at St. Louis  W 2-1
1/21 Colorado      W 3-2
1/24 at Colorado   W 3-2

team news:

by Jim Iovino, Dallas Correspondent

After going winless in their past three games, the Stars bounced back in a big way with four straight wins, including a sweep of a home-and-home series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Coming out of the All Star break, all eyes were on Dallas as two of the top teams in the league went at it. In the far corner, wearing the black and green sweaters, the Dallas Stars. In the near corner, wearing red and blue, the Colorado Avalanche. Let's get ready to rrrrrrrrrruuuuummmmmbble!!!

Dallas won Round One on home ice thanks to two goals by Joe Nieuwendyk. Nieuwendyk hit Patrick Roy with a good right jab to give the Stars a 1-0 lead in the first period. Darryl Sydor added to the lead early in the second. But that's when the Avalanche started fighting back. About three minutes after the Sydor goal, Adam Deadmarsh scored a rebound goal on the power play to breathe some life into the Avalanche offense.

But Nieuwendyk answered the Deadmarsh tally with his second goal of the game, this time on a Stars power play. After that it was all Dallas, as the Stars switched the motor into defensive mode and shut down the Avalanche for the rest of the game. Sure, Eric Lacroix scored just over the midway point of the third, but it didn't matter. Stars win, 3-2.

Ed Belfour only had to face five shots in the third thanks to the Stars stifling defense. Belfour had a relaxing night overall. He made 18 saves in the win. Patrick Roy had to face 31 Dallas shots.

Round Two of the heavyweight battle took place just three days later. In that time, the Avalanche had already been knocked out by the Ducks in embarrassing fashion and their egos were really hurting. This was a must-win situation...no doubt about it.

The Stars, on the other hand, were well rested. They didn't have to play another game before the rematch. All they had to worry about was getting ready for the Avs once again.

Despite needing a big win, Colorado found itself being outshot in the first period, 16-7. The good news was that they had the lead. Claude Lemieux, who would later drop the gloves with Derian Hatcher, scored shorthanded to give the Avs the lead. The play started when Sydor broke his stick while taking a slapshot from the point during a two-man advantage. The puck trickled away and Alexei Gusarov picked it up and fired a pass up to Lemieux, who had just stepped out of the penalty box. Lemieux busted in all alone on Belfour and beat him to give the Avs the 1-0 lead.

Lacroix scored 1 minute, 6 seconds into the second to give the Avs a big lead on home ice, but after that it was all Stars for the second straight game, as they scored three unanswered goals.

Mike Modano scored on the power play at 6:12 to quiet the crowd and give the Stars some Mo'mentum. Hatcher scored at 7:46 of the third to tie things up. That set the stage for Guy Carbonneau. Yes, Guy Carbonneau. Guy had scored just once going into the game. After the game Guy had two goals. Can you figure out what happened?

Carbonneau and Juha Lind broke in on Roy with less than eight minutes to go in the game. Carbonneau looked off the pass and fired a shot high over Roy's right shoulder to give the Stars the win, 3-2.

Once again, Belfour faced just 18 shots. The Stars, on the other hand, peppered Roy with 40.

The back-to-back wins gave the Stars the season series. They went undefeated (3-0-1) against the Avs this season and might have set up quite an interesting playoff matchup, if the two teams get to play each other.

The two wins also extended the team's lead over the rest of the league. Detroit is closest to the Stars, followed by the Avs, who are eight points back.

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