Avalanche 2 - 4 Stars
Final
  for this game

Playoff-hopeful Stars double up Avs

Apr 8, 2011 - 5:30 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Loui Eriksson and Brad Richards both had a goal and an assist, as the Dallas Stars kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Tom Wandell and Brenden Morrow also lit the lamp for the Stars, who have 93 points. They sit two points back of Anaheim and Chicago, which currently occupy the Western Conference's final two playoff spots.

Dallas will play in Colorado on Friday before closing the season against the Wild on Sunday. The Ducks and Blackhawks also have two games remaining on their respective schedules.

Kari Lehtonen made 21 saves for the Stars, who have won three in a row since a six-game skid.

"This was the first step and we got to get a good little rest here and get ready for a big one tomorrow," Morrow said.

Brandon Yip and Mark Olver scored for the Avalanche, who have dropped three straight games. Brian Elliott stopped 33-of-37 shots.

Wandell's wrap-around goal with 4:44 left in the first period gave Dallas the early lead.

Eriksson's one-timer from the left circle over a minute later made it a 2-0 game.

Yip got Colorado on the board at the 10:15 mark of the middle stanza. Philippe Dupuis controlled the puck behind the net and slid a pass to the slot. Yip gathered the puck and fired a wrister past Lehtonen.

Dallas went back up by two on Morrow's power-play goal just 52 seconds into the third. Mike Ribeiro gathered the disc behind the net and slid a pass to the right circle. Eriksson controlled the puck and quickly passed to the side of the net for Morrow, who found the back of the net.

Olver's tip-in of a Ryan Wilson shot cut the gap to 3-2 at the 11:06 mark.

But Richards jammed home a rebound just more than a minute later to essentially put the game away.

"We didn't get out to the start we wanted," Yip said.

Game Notes

Colorado had won three straight against Dallas...Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote has called a press conference for Friday to announce his retirement after 19 seasons in the NHL...The Stars have won three in a row for the first time since February 24-March 1...Colorado went 14-23-4 on the road this year.






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