• Recap
• Bleachers

Smyth leads Avalanche over Stars

Sep 26, 2008 - 3:41 AM By John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DALLAS (Ticker) -- Ryan Smyth continues to burn the Dallas Stars.

Smyth scored a goal and set up T.J Hensick for the game-winner as the Colorado Avalanche skated to a 4-2 preseason victory over the Stars on Thursday.

Colorado, which lost in a shootout to Los Angeles on Wednesday despite two goals by Smyth, also received tallies from Brian Willsie and Matt Hendricks.

Dallas' top line accounted for the offense as captain Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro each notched a goal and an assist. Rookie Fabian Brunnstrom set up both tallies.

Hensick's power-play goal 5:56 into the third period snapped a 2-2 tie. Stationed near the left goalpost during a power play, Hensick redirected a pass from the slot by Smyth past netminder Matt Climie.

The Stars opened the scoring at 8:29 of the first period, when Morrow carried into the left faceoff circle and fed Ribeiro at the right post for an easy tap-in.

Colorado responded just 94 seconds later as Willsie stole a botched exchange between goaltender Marty Turco and rookie defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and fired a wrist shot just inside the far post.

Smyth's third goal of the preseason made it 2-1 just 40 seconds into the second period. The veteran scooped up a rebound that bounced off blue-liner Stephane Robidas' head and knocked it into a vacant net.

Morrow tied it with just 29.1 seconds left in the second, burying the puck during a power play after Ribeiro poked it loose.