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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- After waiting eight
frustrating and discouraging months for this day to arrive, Kirk
Muller made the best of his NHL season debut.
|  | | Dallas' Kevin Dean helps goalie Ed Belfour protect the net from a charging Harry York, right, of Vancouver. |
Muller, a 15-year veteran who signed a free-agent deal
Wednesday, scored 1:18 into the third period to break a tie as the
Dallas Stars beat Vancouver 4-2 Saturday night.
"I was nervous as a rookie before the game, but once I had my
first shift I felt comfortable," Muller said. "I hope people
don't think I came here to score a lot of goals. ... I just wanted
to chip in and help out. It was a lucky bounce tonight, but I'll take
it. It's fun to get the first one in."
Muller couldn't have timed his arrival any better, with the
Stars were playing without three regulars, including captain Derian
Hatcher (lacerated calf) and Joe Nieuwendyk (bruised ribs) -- both
injured during Friday's 2-2 tie in Edmonton.
Inserted on the Stars' top power-play unit, Muller was in the
right place while also getting a fortunate bounce on his goal. Set
up by Brett Hull in front of the net, Muller scored when he
backhanded a shot that bounced in off Vancouver defenseman Zenith
Komarniski's skate.
Muller said he was trying to pass the puck to Hull, who was open
on the other side of the crease.
"I was laughing, I said to the guys, 'I had two goals in my
last game of the year last year so maybe I'm on a little streak,"'
said Muller, who was left unsigned after playing out his contract
with the Florida Panthers last season.
Mike Modano had two goals and two assists, including an
empty-net goal with 40 seconds left to seal the victory, as the
Stars improved to 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Darryl Sydor added
a goal and an assist, and Hull had two assists.
Dallas goalie Ed Belfour stopped 21 shots, including a brilliant
game-saving stop with 2:05 left. With Vancouver's Matt Cooke alone
in front, Belfour dived to his right and stacked his pads to turn
away the rising shot.
Adrian Aucoin and Alexander Mogilny scored for Vancouver, 0-6-1
in its last seven games and 1-9-3 in its last 13. The Canucks have
gone 12 games without scoring three or more goals in regulation.
The breaks just don't seem to be going the Canucks way.
"A lot of times bounces are the things that help a team or hurt
a team," said Aucoin, who has had a hand in all three Vancouver
goals in the last two games since missing four straight with a
groin injury.
"Tonight, Matt Cooke had the great chance at the end and it was
one of those saves where the goalie just throws himself anywhere
and it just hits him. Some days, those are the things that go in
for you, and the way we've been going lately, those are the ones
that have killed us.
The Stars overcame two one-goal deficits.
After Mogilny's power-play goal put Vancouver ahead 2-1 8:53
into the second period, Modano, set up from behind the net by
Hull's pass, tied it at 2 when he one-timed a shot from in close
off the post two minutes later.
The Stars went 2-for-4 with the man advantage and are 12-1-0
when they score a power-play goal this season. Mogilny's power-play
goal, meanwhile, was Vancouver's first in its last 24
opportunities, a stretch of six games.
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock was happy to see his team play well
despite the injuries, and also to see Muller contribute in a big
way.
"Anytime you can get a player with that type of experience and
that type of character in close games like this, he's going to win
some games for you and that's what we need," Hitchcock said.
Hatcher is expected to miss six to eight weeks after he was cut
by Todd Marchant's skate. Nieuwendyk is out indefinitely.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
Stars add to lineup, sign free agent Muller, then trade for Dean
RECAPS
Calgary 2
Ottawa 1
Buffalo 2
NY Islanders 2
Philadelphia 4
Tampa Bay 0
Toronto 2
Montreal 1
Carolina 4
Atlanta 2
New Jersey 5
Washington 4
Florida 5
Pittsburgh 2
Colorado 2
Nashville 2
St. Louis 4
Boston 0
Dallas 4
Vancouver 2
Chicago 8
Los Angeles 4
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