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  Friday, Dec. 17 9:00pm ET
Hatcher's calf lacerated by skate
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock was more concerned with injuries to two of his best players than salvaging a tie against Edmonton.

Georges Laraque
Dallas' Richard Matvichuk, partially hidden, and Brenden Morrow, right, sandwich Edmonton's Georges Laraque while Tom Poti, left, hits Matvichuk.

Chris Murray scored with 4:27 remaining in the third period to give the Stars a 2-2 tie against the Oilers on Friday night in a game that they lost defenseman Derian Hatcher and center Joe Nieuwendyk to injuries.

Hatcher lacerated his right calf when he collided with Edmonton's Todd Marchant and went down heavily against the boards behind the Dallas net midway through the second period.

Nieuwendyk bruised his ribs in the second period and could be out for up to a month.

"That's tough for us," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They're probably our two best players.

"Derian is out for six to eight weeks. It was cut right through to the muscle. Nieuwendyk has rib cartilage damage. It could be a week. It could be a month."

Murray shoveled in the puck from close range, following a shot from the point by Sergei Zubov.

Ryan Smyth and Tom Poti scored for the Oilers, who settled for the tie even though they outshot the Stars 37-28, including 17-3 in the second period.

"We showed a lot of character," Poti said. "I thought we deserved a better fate."

Brad Lukowich had the other goal for Dallas. Lukowich skated behind the net, came out front and tucked the puck behind goaltender Tommy Salo at 17:59 of the first period.

Poti made a great individual effort for his second goal of the season. He picked up the puck at center ice, beat defenseman Darryl Sydor at the Dallas blue line and burst in for a backhander at 6:41 of the second.

Smyth banked a shot off goalie Ed Belfour's stick, from the side of the net, on a power play at 2:08 of the third period.

Salo made a big stop at 1:12 of overtime on Brett Hull, who broke in on a two-on-one break with Mike Modano.

"It's hard to play that way every night," Oilers coach Kevin Lowe said. "There was a little more onus because of the fact it was Dallas."
 


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RECAPS
Florida 4
Buffalo 2

Boston 3
Atlanta 1

Detroit 5
Colorado 2

Washington 3
NY Rangers 2

Dallas 2
Edmonton 2

Anaheim 2
Chicago 0