2 Short-Handed Goals Help Avalanche Beat Stars 3-1
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DALLAS (AP) — Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog each scored a short-handed goal, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Semyon Varlamov made 42 saves for the Avalanche, outshot 43-15. Mikhail Grigorenko added Colorado's final goal with 5:51 remaining.
Jason Demers scored for the Stars, who fell to 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Antti Niemi stopped 12 shots.
Colorado beat Dallas for the 11th time in 12 meetings during Lindy Ruff's three seasons as Stars coach.
Landeskog's goal at 10:12 of the second period broke a 1-all tie. Tyson Barrie pushed the puck ahead to Landeskog, who skated in alone and put a wrist shot past Niemi.
Colorado's penalty killers are 19 for 21 in the last seven games, with three short-handed goals.
Demers scored for Dallas on the power play at 7:24 of the second.
Dallas dominated the early play, but Varlamov denied good chances for Johnny Oduya, Valeri Nichushkin and Tyler Seguin.
Midway through the first period, Niemi saved a close-in shot by Soderberg with his pads and engulfed John Mitchell's wrist shot from the slot.
Soderberg gained redemption during the first period's only power play. He won a battle for the puck from Jamie Benn, skated in on Niemi and flipped a wrist shot into the upper left corner at 19:07.
Dallas outshot Colorado 10-7 in the first.
In the second period, the Stars had the first 12 shots on goal, finally scoring on the ninth when Demers backhanded in a rebound from the blue paint.
The Stars' goal appeared to come with a bonus. Soderberg hit Demers with a high stick that drew blood and a double-minor.
Dallas outshot Colorado 19-4 in the period, but still came away trailing by a goal.
Grigorenko put in his own rebound over Niemi's glove for a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: Avalanche RW Jack Skille left in the first period with a back injury after crashing into the boards following a shot that Niemi saved. . Colorado welcomed back D Erik Johnson, who missed nine games because of a lower-body injury, and LW Blake Comeau, who missed Friday's game while his wife was giving birth to their second daughter. . The short-handed goals moved the Avalanche up to fifth in the NHL with six, trailing Ottawa (nine), Montreal (eight) and Dallas and Winnipeg (seven each). . Landeskog has three goals in the two games vs. Dallas this season. ... The Stars are 1-8-3 against Colorado in Ruff's tenure as coach, including losses in both games this season. ... The Stars scored once on five power plays, but gave up the two short-handed goals and are 4 for 33 over the last 12 games.
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