Porter's SO Winner Gets Avs Past Stars
Dallas (Sports Network) - Kevin Porter scored the decisive goal in the fifth round of the shootout, as the Colorado Avalanche wasted a three-goal lead but recovered to beat the Dallas Stars, 4-3, at American Airlines Center.
Dallas forward Steve Ott fired a slap shot off the crossbar to open the fifth round, then Porter used a wrist shot to beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen on the blocker side.
Milan Hejduk scored two power-play goals in regulation for Colorado, which has won four games in a row for the first time this season. Peter Budaj finished with 26 saves.
James Neal was credited with the tying goal in the third period for the Stars, who were vying for their sixth straight home win. Lehtonen stopped 23 shots.
Down 3-0, Adam Burish and Brenden Morrow tallied 23 seconds apart, the latter coming at the 13:56 mark of the second period, to draw the Stars within one.
Dallas pulled even on the power play. Neal took a pass from Ott and moved into the left circle before firing a low shot that went in off the skate of Colorado defenseman Ryan Wilson midway through the third period.
Hejduk staked the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead, with rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk setting the veteran forward up both times with great passes.
The first goal came 4:05 into the contest and the duo struck again at 3:02 of the middle stanza. David Jones gave the Avalanche a three-goal advantage 2 1/2 minutes later.
Game Notes
Colorado has won three straight and five of the last six meetings...Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles notched two assists.
