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Stars, Avalanche square off in season opener

Oct 3, 2007 - 1:02 PM Dallas (0-0) at Colorado (0-0) 9:30 pm EDTDENVER (Ticker) - The Colorado Avalanche hope one of theoffseason's biggest free agent signings can help them start the2007-2008 season on the right foot.Left wing Ryan Smyth and Colorado host the Dallas Stars onWednesday night.Smyth scored 36 goals and had 32 assists during his time withthe Edmonton Oilers and the New York Islanders last season. Hehas scored 20 or more goals in eight of his 12 seasons.Center Joe Sakic is coming off his first 100-point season sincethe 2000-01 campaign, and played a pivotal role in therecruiting of Smyth to sign with the Avalanche.Colorado will have to deal with the Dallas defense andgoaltender Marty Turco. The Stars allowed a stingy 2.31 goalsper game last season. Turco, who is the Stars' career winsleader with 175, was fourth in the league with a 2.23goals-against average.Dallas, which had only two 20-goal scorers last season, will belooking for added production from some of its younger players togo along with Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen.Players such as Loui Eriksson, Joel Lundqvist, Jussi Jokinen,Antti Miettinen and Niklas Hagman all registed double-digitgoals last season - with Hagman amassing 17.Dalla has won its last eight meetings with Colorado sinceOctober 8, 2005.The Stars also own the longest active undefeated streak inseason openers, going 7-0-3 since 1996.