• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Raycroft lifts Stars over Avalanche

Nov 29, 2011 - 5:10 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Andrew Raycroft made 35 saves for his first win of the season to lift the Dallas Stars to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

Raycroft made the start in place of Kari Lehtonen, who was injured in Saturday's loss to Phoenix and was placed on injured reserve on Sunday with a groin injury.

"It was a big win for all of us tonight," said Raycroft. "I felt really good in practice and the guys were skating well all night. Whenever you get a win on the road it's big."

Michael Ryder had two goals while Eric Nystrom scored the other for the Stars, who snapped a two-game slide.

Kevin Porter's goal late in the third period kept the Avalanche from getting shutout.

"We have to be better on the power play, no question," said Colorado forward David Jones. "There has just been no momentum. We're not getting shots on net and we're not getting in front of the net."

Semyon Varlamov stopped 32-of-34 shots in the loss for Colorado, which is just 3-9-1 in November.

Dallas struck with just over four minutes to play in the first as Vernon Fiddler snapped a shot on net from the inside right circle that Varlamov stopped, but the rebound sat in the crease and Nystrom slammed it home.

Raycroft stopped 11 shots in the first period and came up with 16 saves in the second to keep it a 1-0 contest.

Dallas gave itself some breathing space when Ryder was sprung on a breakaway by Loui Eriksson and buried a wrister into the right corner with 5:24 to play.

That proved fortunate as Porter scored on a rebound of a Jones shot with 3:36 remaining, but Ryder's second of the game came with the net empty to help the Stars snap a four-game losing streak on the road.

Game Notes

Dallas, which was 0-for-4 on the power play, is 0-for-20 on the man advantage over its last eight games...Dallas has not lost a game when leading after two periods since Oct. 31, 2009...Dallas has won four of the last five against Colorado...Dallas hosts Ottawa on Thursday...Colorado welcomes New Jersey on Wednesday.