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Ribeiro's shootout goal keeps Stars perfect vs. Kings

Dec 17, 2006 - 1:34 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Defenseman Philippe Boucher and captain Brenden Morrow have had plenty of success this year against the Los Angeles Kings. Mike Ribeiro made sure the Dallas Stars maintained that good fortune.

Boucher and Morrow scored in regulation and Ribeiro netted the lone shootout goal as the Stars remained unbeaten against the Kings this season with a 4-3 victory.

Entering with four goals in Dallas' four wins over Los Angeles, including a hat trick in the last meeting on November 24, Boucher gave the Stars the lead just 55 seconds into the game.

The Kings rallied from a 2-0 deficit to grab a one-goal lead in the third period before Morrow tallied with 4:58 left to forge a tie. The goal was Morrow's ninth of the season, four of which have come against the Kings.

"At the end of the night, being down 2-0, I think that we responded in the right way," Los Angeles captain Mattias Norstrom said. "We were up 3-2 with five or six minutes to go. But overall, we are pretty pleased with the game."

After a scoreless overtime, neither team was able to break through in the first two rounds of the shootout. But on Dallas' third chance, Ribeiro deked Barry Brust before lifting the puck past the rookie goaltender to give the Stars the advantage.

"He came out (and) I was kind of worried about the poke-check, but he didn't really move," Ribeiro said. "I was just trying to find a hole. At the last second, I found it."

On Los Angeles' last opportunity, Marty Turco lost his balance and fell backward. But Alexander Frolov lost control of the puck, which hit the netminder's left pad, preventing the Kings from extending the bonus format.

"Our chances were better than theirs," Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford said. "Our guys made great moves every time. ... (Turco) was probably beat by Frolov. But that's just how the shootout goes."

Stu Barnes had a goal and an assist and Jeff Halpern set up a pair of tallies for Dallas, which improved to 11-1-0 against Pacific Division opponents.

"Our record is good, but we've had some tough games against (the Kings)," Barnes said.

"We did a good job," said Turco, who made 33 saves. "It would be so easy to just crumble up when you're leading a game and then get down, but the guys didn't."

Sean Avery halted a 15-game goal-scoring drought and added an assist for the Kings, who had won three of five.

Entering with goals in each of his last two contests, Boucher opened the scoring with a one-timer from just above the right faceoff circle off a backhand pass from Halpern. Barnes made it 2-0 with 5:02 to go in the first, putting a one-timer from the slot between the pads of Brust for his first goal in eight games.

Dustin Brown halved the deficit at 6:09 of the middle session with a power-play tally and Avery knotted the game just under three minutes into the third, firing a wrist shot from the top of the right circle past Turco.

With the Kings on the power play, received a cross-slot pass from Frolov and unleashed a shot that bounced off Turco and the right goalpost before again hitting the goalie. As the puck creeped toward the goal line, defenseman Rob Blake poked it in at 12:18, giving Los Angeles a 3-2 edge.

"I'm impressed with how we responded in the second and third (periods)," Norstrom said. "We really turned the tables on them, outshot them and took over the play. We were down 2-0, gave ourselves a chance to win it."

"They turned it on with whatever they said between the first and second periods," Morrow said. "Their intensity was raised and ours wasn't raised with it. They took it to us. They had the momentum."

But Morrow drew Dallas even less than three minutes later, letting go a wrister from the top of the right circle that deflected off defenseman Norstrom and past a screened Brust.

"Guys don't let you see the puck as much in front, they are so good at screening and tipping," said Brust, who was making his second career start. "We got a couple of unlucky bounces there and it's unfortunate we didn't get the two points."

Defenseman Sergei Zubov picked up an assist on the play, his second of the game and the 700th point of his career.