Stars 2, Mighty Ducks 1

By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Stars already knew how to come from behind to win. They found out they can do it even without Mike Modano.

Jason Arnott and Derian Hatcher scored third-period goals and Dallas beat Anaheim 2-1 Wednesday night. It was the Stars' eighth win when trailing after two periods, one short of the NHL record.

``It builds confidence that you know you can win, even when you're down,'' Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

Especially when doing it without Modano, an All-Star and their leading scorer who was out because of an injury.

The Stars and Mighty Ducks could play again next week in the first round of the playoffs. If they do, Modano should be on the ice.

``But it was nice to see we could win without him,'' Scott Young said.

Modano, who has 28 goals and 56 assists, left early in the second period with what the team called a lower-body injury. Tippett said the injury wasn't serious, but didn't elaborate.

``If that's a playoff game, he probably plays. But we decided to keep him out,'' Tippett said. ``That's not an injury that will be lengthy.''

Modano left after being shoved awkwardly to the ice by Adam Oates after a faceoff between the two. Modano returned before the end of the second, but only briefly before leaving for good.

The Stars, who have 109 points and one game left, will be the No. 1 or 2 Western Conference seed in the playoffs. Detroit has 106 points with two games left, and holds the tiebreaker against Dallas.

Anaheim suffered its first regulation loss in seven games, but remained sixth overall with a franchise-record 94 points and one game left. The Ducks are a point ahead of Minnesota and three in front of eighth-place Edmonton, with two games remaining for both of those teams.

``A loss at this time of year can be a good thing because it allows your team to stop, refocus and prepare for the playoffs,'' said Ducks coach Mike Babcock.

Hatcher's eighth goal, a 25-foot wrist shot in the slot with 11:18 left, was the game-winner. Martin Gerber, who stopped 29 shots, got a piece of the puck, only to have it slide into the right post and trickle past the line.

Marty Turco stopped 26 shots, including three quick ones to save the lead. Turco first stopped Anaheim leading scorer Paul Kariya's shot from right in front with 5:43 left. Then 28 seconds later, Petr Sykora had a rebound shot and got another chance off his own deflection.

Turco lowered his goals-against average to 1.76, just below the NHL record of 1.77 set by Chicago's Tony Esposito in 1971-72 and Toronto's Al Rollins in 1950-51. Turco will break the record if he allows two goals or less in Sunday's season finale against Nashville, assuming he plays.

``I don't plan on sitting out any more games, but we'll wait and see,'' said Turco, who played in just his sixth game since missing almost six weeks with an ankle injury.

The Stars tied it 1-1 when Arnott redirected Sergei Zubov's shot for a power-play goal with 15:39 left, just 26 seconds into the penalty.

Anaheim's only goal was Sandis Ozolinsh's power-play goal 2:12 into the second, in the same sequence in which Modano was hurt.< ^Notes: Toronto holds the NHL record for most wins when trailing after two periods, its nine this season. ... Dallas thought it tied the game in the second when Arnott slapped a rebound past Gerber. But the whistle had already been blown because of a penalty on the initial shot, when Ulf Dahlen shot falling down after being hooked by Rob Niedermayer. ... Arnott has scored 25 of his 56 points in the third period or overtime.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)