Recap: Dallas vs. St. Louis
Sports Network | November 25, 2009
Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Brad Boyes' tally gave St. Louis its first shootout victory of the season, and Ty Conklin was sharp with 34 saves in a 4-3 final against Dallas.
David Backes and T.J. Oshie had a goal and an assist each, while Erik Johnson also found the back of the net for the Blues, who have won three of four.
Brenden Morrow, Stephane Robidas and Toby Petersen scored for the Stars, who had put together back-to-back wins for just the second time this season. Marty Turco registered 35 saves in the setback.
The Blues shattered a 2-2 tie with nine minutes left in the third, as Oshie led a rush out of his own zone and hit Backes up the left wing with a crisp cross-ice pass through the neutral zone. The hard-charging Backes cut across the crest of the circle and dealt the disc back across to Oshie for a blistering slapshot to the top right corner.
But with 25.4 seconds remaining and Turco on the bench for an extra skater, a Mike Modano slapshot from the right point found its way through a host of bodies and deflected in off the arm of Morrow, who was parked to the right of Conklin. The goal was reviewed and upheld.
Both teams had good chances to end the game in overtime, but the goaltenders withstood the challenge.
Brad Richards snapped one by Conklin to begin the shootout, and Andy McDonald answered in turn. Mike Ribeiro clanked one off the left post and across the goal mouth for Dallas, and Boyes easily slipped the puck between Turco's legs to give St. Louis the advantage. Robidas was then foiled by the blocker of Conklin to end the game.
A pair of power-play goals saw the game tied at one midway through the first, as Robidas scored 5:37 in on a slapshot and Johnson tallied at the nine-minute mark on a wrister from in close.
Dallas regained the lead at 10:43, as Petersen took a pass from Tom Wandell and let fly a slapshot from low in the right circle to beat Conklin through the legs.
The Blues had an answer only 1:19 later, as Roman Polak cranked a hard shot that Turco couldn't handle cleanly, with Backes lifting the rebound over the goaltender's glove.
Dallas' James Neal returned from a two-game suspension stemming from a boarding infraction last Thursday...Richards and Modano each had two assists...Dallas closed out a four-game homestand 2-1-1 and plays at Phoenix Friday...The Blues travel to Nashville Friday...St. Louis has won eight of the last 13 meetings with the Stars...The Stars organization honored Brett Hull prior to the game on his recent induction into the Hall of Fame.
