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PLAYOFF SERIES: Western Conference quarterfinals; Avalanche lead 2-0.
Trailing 2-0 in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars are hoping to use one of the NHL's biggest home-ice advantages to pull even.

The only problem is that the Stars will be facing one of the league's best road teams.

The Stars look to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole when the series between fifth-seeded Colorado and fourth-seeded Dallas moves to the American Airlines Center.

The Stars went just 15-19-5-2 on the road this season, and it showed in Games 1 and 2. Colorado dominated those contests, outscoring Dallas 8-3 as the Avs' star players quickly took control of the series.

``Their big guys over there are killing us right now,'' Dallas center Mike Modano said after Colorado's 5-2 victory in Game 2 on Friday night. ``Whoever is on the ice against these guys have to be on their toes and be real sharp and smart. Right now those three, four guys are taking us apart.''

Those three or four guys are forwards Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay and Joe Sakic, and goaltender David Aebischer.

Sakic ended the regular season with one goal in Colorado's final seven games, but has scored in both games against Dallas. The Stars have had no success in stopping the AMP line of Tanguay, Milan Hejduk and Forsberg, which has eight points in the series.

``There's a lot of desperation out there with those guys and when they get going, they're a tough line to stop,'' Avalanche defenseman Bob Boughner said. ``It doesn't matter who's playing against them. I remember playing against the Avalanche, and when those guys are on the top of their game it's a long night back there.''

Aebischer has looked a lot like mentor Patrick Roy in his first two playoff starts, turning away 56 of 59 shots to thoroughly outplay Stars counterpart Marty Turco.

The Avs are also getting strong play from All-Star defenseman Rob Blake, who is back to being his steady self after an inconsistent end to the season, chipping in three assists to go with his solid play at the blue line.

While Colorado's stars are postseason-tested, most of Dallas' top players also have a wealth of playoff experience that hasn't helped the team so far. Modano had the first goal in Game 2, but hasn't had room to create much else. Forward Bill Guerin, Dallas' leading scorer in the regular season with 34 goals and 69 points, has no points and five shots in the series.

The Stars also haven't exhibited veteran poise in their opening playoff series, giving Colorado 14 power plays that have led to three goals.

Defenseman Richard Matvichuk was on the ice for all three Colorado goals in Game 1 and is minus-5 in the series.

Turco finished the regular season with a career-high 37 wins and a 1.98 goals-against average before allowing eight goals against the Avalanche.

``Personally, regardless of the goals, the amount of them, I just (want to) give my team a chance,'' Turco said. ``I've been trying to do that, so it doesn't really matter what has happened. It's what is going to happen that matters the most for us.''

Colorado has managed to slow down Dallas' speedy top two lines by standing them up in the neutral zone and the blue line, forcing the Stars to dump the puck in to create offensive chances.

``It's just trying to eliminate their space and time in the neutral zone and not let them wind up with some speed -- just executing defensive play in the neutral zone,'' Boughner said. ``I think the guys that are assigned to that job, are doing a heck of job. It's everybody coming together and doing the little things.''

Colorado struggled at times to do those little things at home, where it went just 19-14-6-2 this season. The Avs were a much better team on the road, going 21-8-7-5 away from the Pepsi Center.

The Stars are 5-3 in Dallas against the Avs during the postseason, and they'll have to improve to avoid falling into a nearly hopeless situation. Only two teams in NHL playoff history have come back to win a series after trailing 3-0, the last time being in 1975 when the New York Islanders defeated Pittsburgh.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Stars - 97 points, 5th seed. Avalanche - 100 points, 4th seed.

PLAYOFF TEAM LEADERS: Avalanche - Forsberg, Tanguay and Sakic, 2 goals; Blake, 3 assists; four with 3 points; Matthew Barnaby, 6 PIM. Stars - Niko Kapanen, Chris Therien and Modano, 1 goal; six with 1 assist; nine with 1 point; Shayne Corson, 12 PIM.

PLAYOFF SPECIAL TEAMS: Avalanche - Power play: 23.1 percent (3 for 13). Penalty killing: 91.7 percent (11 for 12). Stars - Power play: 8.3 percent (1 for 12). Penalty killing: 76.9 percent (10 for 13).

GOALTENDERS: Avalanche - Aebischer (2-0, 1.50 GAA); Tommy Salo (no appearances). Stars - Turco (0-2, 4.07); Ron Tugnutt (no appearances).

REGULAR SEASON SERIES: Avalanche, 3-1. Aebischer started all four games and allowed just three goals in winning the first three matchups, including a 29-save, 3-0 victory in the first meeting Nov. 15. Turco struggled against the Avs, giving up 11 goals in the three defeats before making 15 saves in a 5-1 win on Feb. 20. Tanguay had three goals and two assists for Colorado, while Jason Arnott recorded a hat trick in the final meeting and had four goals and an assist in the series.

Dallas 4, Colorado 3, OT

By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
April 13, 2004

DALLAS (AP) -- Two games and 2 1/2 periods into their first-round matchup, the Colorado Avalanche seemed to be toying with the Dallas Stars.

Then things turned serious for Colorado. And the Avalanche couldn't respond.

Philippe Boucher scored the tying goal with 4:27 left in regulation, then Steve Ott won it with a breakaway goal off a neutral-zone steal 2:11 into overtime, giving Dallas a 4-3 victory Monday night that revives the Stars' chances in the series.

``It's a great feeling, but it's only one game,'' said Scott Young, who began Dallas' rally with a power-play goal with two seconds left in the second period. ``We couldn't afford to lose this game.''

A loss would have left the Stars facing a 3-0 series deficit, which has led to elimination for every team since 1975. Now they've got a chance to tie the series in Game 4 on Wednesday night. It's in Dallas, where the Stars have lost only one of their last 20 games.

Colorado won the first two games by a combined score of 8-3, with the outcome of both never in doubt. The Avalanche again had a two-goal cushion, leading 3-1 until Young's goal.

``That goal was frustrating, it gave them life,'' Colorado center Chris Gratton said. ``It got the fans back into it. The building was jumping and it gave them the momentum right back.''

Still, Colorado goaltender David Aebischer kept it 3-2 for much of the third period and the Avs were less than five minutes from another victory.

Dallas goaltender Marty Turco also helped keep things tight, primarily by making a glove save on a point-blank shot by Rob Blake seven minutes into the third period.

``It was my opportunity to step up,'' said Turco, who had 14 saves, just three in the third period and overtime. ``It was one-on-one. I like to think I thrive in those situations.''

Aebischer, who made 28 saves, lost for the first time in his playoff career. How Patrick Roy's replacement responds to allowing the two late goals could be a key to the rest of this series.

``David is very hard on himself,'' Colorado coach Tony Granato said. ``Every time he lets in a goal, he feels he should have saved it. He's very critical of himself. But from Day 1, he's been solid for us.''

Jason Arnott scored a power-play goal midway through the first period to put Dallas ahead 1-0. The Stars led just 3:33, but that was an eternity compared to the 1:03 they'd been up through the first two games.

Milan Hejduk had the tying goal, then Riku Hahl put the Avs back in front. Steve Konowalchuk stretched the lead by scoring on a power play midway through the second.

Boucher tied it from about the widest spot possible, in the small space between the boards and the outside of the right faceoff circle. With Young clogging the front of the net, the puck got past Aebischer's stick.

``You want to take some chances,'' Boucher said. ``I got lucky.''

The winning play began when Ott blocked a neutral-zone pass from Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote. The second-year center then took off with the puck as soon as he saw it heading toward the Colorado zone.

Foote couldn't catch up to Ott. Neither could Karlis Skrastins, who dived just as Ott sent the puck through a narrow gap between Aebischer and the post.

``I was just trying to keep the puck away from Foote,'' Ott said. ``The puck was bouncing all over the place. I was just trying to throw it at the net. I couldn't believe it went in.''

Ott is one of many Stars who bleached their hair and spiked it into a mohawk for a new twist on the tradition of growing a playoff beard. This goal -- his first in four career playoff games after only two in 73 regular-season games, none since Feb. 4 -- really makes him feel part of the club.

``All the emotion and happiness is awesome,'' he said.

The Avalanche went through the opposite emotions, something they never came close to feeling the first two games.

``You're going to go through tough times throughout the playoffs,'' centerPeter Forsberg said. ``But we still have to keep in mind that we're up 2-1.''

Notes

The Avalanche have scored twice in the first period of all three games. That's a major letdown for a Dallas defense that gave up a league-low 38 first-period goals in the regular season. The Stars allowed two first-period goals in just five of 82 games. ... Forsberg upped his postseason scoring streak to nine straight games, matching a career best. ... Arnott's goal brokea seven-game playoff drought.