Stars stave off elimination with win over Red Wings

DALLAS, Texas, May 14, 2008 (AFP) - The Dallas Stars fended off elimination in the National Hockey League playoffs Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

Mike Modano snapped a tie 5:35 into the third period as the Stars narrowed the gap to 3-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference final series against Detroit, from which the winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Captain Brenden Morrow and Loui Eriksson also tallied and defenseman Sergei Zubov had two assists for fifth-seeded the Stars, who remain one defeat away from elimination.

Henrik Zetterberg scored the lone goal for the top-seeded Red Wings, who will seek to reach their fifth Stanley Cup Finals by closing out the series at home in game five on Saturday.

Chris Osgood finished with 19 saves but fell to 9-1 in the postseason for the Red Wings, who saw their franchise-record nine-game postseason winning streak come to an end.

Marty Turco stopped 33 shots for the Stars.

The Stars dominated the first period, holding a 9-5 edge in shots and generating several scoring opportunities and three power plays. But as in games two and three, they couldn´t capitalize on their chances.

Dallas´ best chance came with 6:15 elapsed as rookie defenseman Nicklas Grossman, who scored a goal in game three, rang a wrist shot off the goalpost from the right faceoff circle.

True to form with the rest of the series, the pendulum shifted back to the Red Wings as they outshot Dallas 10-1 through the first half of the second period and 14-6 overall.

Pavel Datsyuk appeared to open the scoring with a power-play tally for the Red Wings at 7:33 into the second session, but the officials disallowed the goal, deeming that Tomas Holmstrom was in the crease and impeded Turco´s ability to stop the puck.

Although the Red Wings kept the pressure on, it was Dallas who produced the game´s first goal with just 22.7 seconds left in the second.

Defenseman Stephane Robidas fired a wrist shot from the right circle which ricocheted off Osgood, then off Eriksson in front and into the crease. Eriksson swatted it in for his fourth goal of the postseason.

The Stars´ first lead of the series lasted just 72 seconds. Detroit leveled the score 49 seconds into the third period when Zetterberg unleashed a scorching wrist shot from the the left faceoff circle which beat Turco.

Dallas countered on a power play at 5:35 - Modano´s fifth goal of the postseason.