Final
Turco posts second straight shutout, Stars again blank Coyotes
Dec 7, 2006 - 4:20 AM DALLAS (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Coyotes entered without a goal against the Dallas Stars this season. Marty Turco made sure they left with the same predicament.Turco made 25 saves for his second consecutive shutout and defensemen Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher each had a goal and an assist as the Stars extended their home winning streak to six games with a 3-0 victory over the Coyotes.
Phoenix, which had won a season-high three straight, was shut out by rookie Mike Smith in its first meeting with Dallas on October 21. In the next matchup on November 9, Turco needed to make just 13 saves to blank the Coyotes, 1-0.
Coming off another 1-0 shutout against San Jose on Monday, Turco stopped seven shots in the first period, 11 in the second and seven in the third to extend his scoreless streak to 143 minutes, 6 seconds. It was the third shutout of the season for the netminder and 27th career, tying Ed Belfour for first place on the franchise list.
"The guys did such a great job in front of me and there wasn't a sustained pressure on us," said Turco, who has posted consecutive shutouts for the first time in his career. "I'm feeling good and expectations are high for me from myself, and it's good to beat a team that's been playing well lately."
"Marty has been excellent the last two games and we knew we had to have a solid defensive performance again," Dallas blue-liner Stephane Robidas said.
The blanking also stretched the Coyotes' futility against the Stars to 196:13. Phoenix has tallied vs. Dallas since April 8, when Bill Thomas netted his first career goal at 8:47 of the third period in a 3-2 shootout victory by the Stars.
"There's no explanation, really," Turco said of his team's success against the Coyotes. "I think the first two games, they weren't playing as well. I think more than anything, they haven't been able to get much sustained pressure against us. We're making hits and sacrifices to get the puck out of our zone."
"The first two times we played, they were a way better team," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "I was surprised because tonight we had opportunities to score."
Turco made his best save early in the third. After stopping Yanic Perreault's wrist shot, Turco denied Phoenix captain Shane Doan on a rebound attempt from alone on the doorstep with just under 14 minutes remaining.
"You've got to give Marty credit," Doan said. "He robbed me twice. I had two great chances. Give Marty all the credit."
Zubov gave Turco all the support he needed just over two minutes into the first period during a 5-on-3 power play. Mike Ribeiro doubled the lead in the middle session before Boucher sealed things late in the third with a goal during another two-man advantage.
Ribeiro also had an assist for Dallas, which improved to 9-1-0 against its Pacific Division rivals despite being without its top two scorers. Mike Modano was scratched with a groin injury, while Eric Lindros missed his second straight game with a foot ailment.
"Marty made some big saves and we've had some big names out of the lineup, but we just have to keep working hard and taking advantage of the chances we get," Ribeiro said. "This is another quality win for us and I hope we can keep things rolling."
"We have tightened up with some players out of the lineup and we know how important it is to protect our home ice," Turco added.
Curtis Joseph made 14 saves for the Coyotes, who have been outscored, 8-0, in the three meetings with the Stars.
"They're great. They're unbelievable," Doan said. "They are so good defensively. They got a couple of breaks and Marty played great for them."
With both Perreault and Mike Ricci in the penalty box for Phoenix, Zubov staked Dallas to a 1-0 lead at 2:03 of the first, when he beat Joseph to the stick side with a one-timer from just above the left faceoff circle.
"We were a little undisciplined at the beginning of the game taking those penalties," Gretzky said. "That 5-on-3 goal really hurt us."
Despite being outshot in the period, 11-4, the Stars made it a two-goal bulge when Ribeiro one-timed Jere Lehtinen's feed from the left corner past Joseph with 2:03 to go in the period.
"We got dominated in the second period," Ribeiro said. "It was a nice play by Lehts. I think it was a big goal for us."
Stars coach Dave Tippett did not put much stock in the final shots total.
"Shots were misleading in this game because we were not giving up too many chances," he said. "We talked about having an efficient game, and I think our team did that. Our kids are competing well and Marty is on."
Boucher removed any doubt of the outcome when he blasted a one-timer from the top of the left circle by Joseph with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third.
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PHOENIX 0 0 0 0
DALLAS 1 1 1 3 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: DAL - (PP) SERGEI ZUBOV 4 (PHILIPPE BOUCHER, JUSSI JOKINEN)
2:03
2ND PRD: DAL - MIKE RIBEIRO 6 (JERE LEHTINEN, LOUI ERIKSSON) 17:57
3RD PRD: DAL - (PP) PHILIPPE BOUCHER 8 (SERGEI ZUBOV, MIKE RIBEIRO)
17:30
Dec 6 11:01 PM - NHL
PHOENIX 0
DALLAS 3
3RD PRD: DAL - (PP) PHILIPPE BOUCHER 8 (SERGEI ZUBOV, MIKE RIBEIRO)
17:30 (TWO-MAN ADVANTAGE)
Coyotes vs. StarsDec 6 10:57 PM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PHOENIX 0 0 0
DALLAS 1 1 2 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: DAL - (PP) SERGEI ZUBOV 4 (PHILIPPE BOUCHER, JUSSI JOKINEN)
2:03
2ND PRD: DAL - MIKE RIBEIRO 6 (JERE LEHTINEN, LOUI ERIKSSON) 17:57
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PHO
Dec 6 10:07 PM - NHL
PHOENIX 0
DALLAS 2
2ND PRD: DAL - MIKE RIBEIRO 6 (JERE LEHTINEN, LOUI ERIKSSON) 17:57
Coyotes vs. StarsDec 6 10:03 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PHOENIX 0 0
DALLAS 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: DAL - (PP) SERGEI ZUBOV 4 (PHILIPPE BOUCHER, JUSSI JOKINEN)
2:03
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PHO 7 7
DAL 6 6
GOALIES: PHO - CURTIS
Dec 6 9:12 PM - NHL
PHOENIX 0
DALLAS 1
1ST PRD: DAL - (PP) SERGEI ZUBOV 4 (PHILIPPE BOUCHER, JUSSI JOKINEN)
2:03 (TWO-MAN ADVANTAGE)
Coyotes vs. StarsDec 6 8:43 PM
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