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Sunday, Apr. 2 2:00pm ET
Avalanche closer to clinching Northwest | |||||
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DENVER (AP) -- Goalie Ed Belfour said he simply misplayed the puck. Shjon Podein didn't disagree. Podein stole the puck from Belfour behind the net and scored a shorthanded goal with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.
Colorado, posting its fifth straight victory, extended its lead over Edmonton to six points in the Northwest Division, nearly securing the division title. Colorado has three games remaining and Edmonton four. "This was a huge game for us since Edmonton won last night," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley said. "This keeps us six points ahead of them." Dallas already has clinched the Pacific Division. Late in overtime, Belfour roamed far from the crease, controlling the puck from near the right corner to behind the net. Podein, approaching from the right side, stole the puck and tucked it between Belfour and defenseman Darryl Sydor just left of the goal. "Podein's goal was a matter of pressure, of going to the goalie and forcing him to move the puck," Hartley said. "Too often players don't want to get too close to goalies. Podein never gave Belfour a chance. He caught him with his head down." Podein said he wasn't worried about getting a goalie-interference call. "I just came on the ice and I saw he bobbled it," Podein said. "It looked like he just lost it at the last second. I kind of poke-checked it from him, went around and jammed it in. I was thinking, 'Hurry up and get it in before the defenseman from the other side gets over.' It's always nice to pitch in when the team needs it." Belfour had no excuses. "I misplayed it," he said. "I thought he (Podein) turned away and he didn't. He came back and I left the puck. He didn't try to knock me down." Asked about the strange finish, Belfour said, "I don't think I have ever had any like that in my career. Once in a while you mishandle the puck and it winds up in your net. That's the first time it has happened all year." It was only the second short-handed goal for the Avalanche this season. Patrick Roy had 22 saves to record his 443rd regular-season victory, leaving him just four shy of NHL career leader Terry Sawchuk. Belfour had 25 saves. Colorado's Ray Bourque scored the only goal of the first period, on a power play from the left point at 10:37. It was Bourque's 18th goal of the season and eighth since being traded from Boston on March 6. Seven of those eight goals have come on power plays. "With the personnel we have," Bourque said, "the defense can't just focus on one guy. They overplay certain people and that opens guys up. For me at times, it has. I've had time to tee it up and really lay into it." Adam Deadmarsh corralled a deflected puck and scored from the slot at 1:10 of the second period, putting the Avalanche ahead 2-0. But the Stars rallied to tie it. Brett Hull, shooting through defenseman Jon Klemm's screen, scored from the right circle at 12:01. It was Hull's 609th career goal, leaving him one shy of his father, Bobby, who stands in ninth place in NHL history. Moments later, Sylvain Cote earned his 399th career point, taking a pass from Brenden Morrow and beating Roy from the slot at 15:30. Sydor returned to the ice after missing two games with a pinched nerve in his neck, but Dallas was without defenseman Sergei Zubov, who is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks with a torn ligament in his right knee sustained Wednesday night. Colorado's Peter Forsberg played sparingly after missing the previous two games with a bruised left shoulder. Joe Sakic failed to score, ending his career-high 14-game point streak. The loss snapped the Stars' seven-game unbeaten streak on the road. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Dallas Clubhouse Colorado Clubhouse RECAPS Carolina 1 Philadelphia 0
Colorado 3 AUDIO/VIDEO   Shjon Podein scores a shorthanded game-winning goal.avi: 685 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Ray Bourque scores the power-play goal.avi: 550 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Brett Hull beats Patrick Roy with the slapper.avi: 767 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1   | |||||
