Brenden Morrow scored two power-play goals and
Stephane Robidas had three assists to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-1
victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
The Stars' 4-0 start is the second-best in the franchise's
40-year history. They won their first six games in 1996-97, when
they began a string of five consecutive division titles. Mike
Ribeiro had a goal and two assists for the defending Pacific
Division champions, who also got a goal from Jere Lehtinen.
Marty Turco, who has backstopped all four victories, made 24
saves and has allowed only two goals in his last 153 minutes of ice
time. The two-time all-star's bid for his 25th career shutout was
spoiled when Michael Cammalleri scored on a power play with 2:43 to
play.
The Stars, who beat the Kings 4-1 Thursday night at Staples
Center in the opener of their season series, were 2-6 against them
last season _ but finished with 23 more points than Los Angeles in
the Western Conference standings as the Kings failed to make the
playoffs.
Mike Modano and Robidas both hit goalposts less than two minutes
apart in the first period before Dallas took a 2-0 lead on
power-play goals by Ribeiro and Morrow against Mathieu Garon in a
78-second span _ both of which came on deflections of slap slots by
Robidas.
Jeff Cowan was off for goaltender interference when Robidas'
one-timer from the top of the left circle banked in off Ribeiro at
13:44. Alexander Frolov was serving a hooking penalty when Robidas'
one-timer from the high slot changed direction off Morrow's stick
while his back was to the net.
Lehtinen, a three-time winner of the Frank Selke Trophy as the
NHL's top defensive forward, scored his first goal of the season at
12:18 of the second period for a 3-0 lead. Last season he led Dallas
with a career-high 33 goals.
Just 56 seconds later, Morrow converted a rebound at the edge of
the crease while Kevin Dallman was in the box for hooking. The goal
was Morrow's fourth in three games.
Notes: Last year, the Kings' marketing slogan was ``Kings Rule!''
This year it's ``Play Hard!'' After they got behind 4-0, the crowd
of 17,052 began a derisive chant of: ``Let's play har-der! Let's
play har-der!'' ... Los Angeles was 1-for-16 on the power play in
the back-to-back games against Dallas. ... Garon made 24 saves in
his second start. Last season he had 31 wins, tying Felix Potvin
(2001-02) for the third highest total in franchise history behind
Mario Lessard's 35 in 1980-81 and Rogie Vachon's 33 in 1976-77.
© The Canadian Press, 2007