Stars Get Even

Colorado
Avalanche

"We forced them to play our way rather than them forcing us to play their way," Modano said. "Tonight, we were the hunter and not the hunted."

Dallas dominated most of the game outshooting Colorado 34-22. The Avs were still playing without Ray Bourque and lost Adam Foote to an eye injury. Bourque is expected to play Friday night when the series shifts to Denver for Game 3.

"You're always going to lose players, but when you lose a guy that's going to log 30 minutes, it's never easy," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley said of Foote's injury.

Dallas clearly had the best scoring chances in the opening period that ended scoreless. Sandis Ozolinsh gave the Avs a 1-0 lead just 25 seconds into the second period, but Dallas kept coming.

Modano scored his first goal by shooting the puck under Patrick Roy's pads as both were falling to the ice.

"I should be upset," Roy said. "I thought the puck was under my pads and I was pushed into the net. I thought it was a bad call."

Modano then gave Dallas the lead on a power-play goal with 1:45 left in the period. It was Modano's eighth goal in the playoffs.

Brett Hull gave the Stars the insurance goal 5:48 into the third period on a pass from Jere Lehtinen after Avalanche rookie defenseman Martin Skoula turned the puck over near his own net.

"Lehtinen is playing better and better," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He had a lot of jump and was getting into the play more tonight than he did in Game One."

Dallas made a remarkable recovery from Game 1. The Stars were determined not to go down 2-0 in the series and showed hunger and desperation worthy to a defending champion.