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BOX SCORE
DALLAS (AP) -- After months of nagging, Dallas coach Ken
Hitchcock has the Stars playing the defensive style that won last
year's Stanley Cup.
|  | | Dallas' Mike Keane, right, hooks into David Legwand for a ride. |
Mike Keane's go-ahead goal 43 seconds into the final period
Wednesday night sent the Stars to a 3-1 victory over Nashville,
ending the Predators' franchise-best eight-game unbeaten streak.
"Our work ethic is there," said Hitchcock. "We're not
cheating ourselves. We're coming to work every day. We're up 2-1
and we're not trying to hit a home run. We're playing smart
hockey."
After getting the lead, the Stars shut down the Predators, who
were 5-0-3 in their previous eight games. Dallas held an 11-6 shots
advantage in the third period as the Stars stretched their winning
streak to a season-long four games.
"We're playing really hard, playing a simple game," Stars
defenseman Darryl Sydor said. "There are things we can do better,
but this was a good win. The chemistry is there again within the
team."
The Stars are also starting to re-establish their home-ice
advantage, which carried them through the playoffs last season.
Dallas is 6-1-0 in its last seven games at Reunion Arena.
"Of course it's important to play well at home," Sydor said.
Neither of the Stars' first two goals will make any highlight tape.
Keane's shot from the right circle glanced off Tomas Vokoun's
glove and over the line for his sixth goal.
"I saw the puck at the last second," Vokoun said. "It went
through one of our player's legs and hit off the upper part of my
catching glove. It just got enough of my glove to bounce over. They
got a couple of lucky goals tonight."
Guy Carbonneau, who assisted on Keane's goal, scored his fifth
with 4.9 seconds left into an empty net.
Scott Walker got the only goal for the Predators.
Juha Lind scored a second-period goal for Dallas, 12-4-2 in its
last 18 games.
Backup Dallas goalie Manny Fernandez stopped 18 shots.
"I didn't have to do much tonight," said Fernandez, whose
start gave Ed Belfour the night off. "Our defense was very sharp.
There weren't a lot of big saves to be made. The first 10 minutes,
we played really well and that dictated the rest of the game."
Nashville got the only goal of the first period when Walker
scored his third from the high slot at 16:56. Walker's shot bounced
off the post, off the back of Fernandez's leg and landed in the
net.
Dallas tied it at 1 when Lind's deflection glanced off the skate
of Nashville's Cliff Ronning and behind Vokoun at 10:25 of the
second. It was Lind's third goal.
Stars defenseman Richard Matvichuk left the game after the first
period suffering from the flu.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Nashville Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Rangers 3
Toronto 2
New Jersey 3
Pittsburgh 1
Dallas 3
Nashville 1
Colorado 4
Calgary 0
San Jose 1
Edmonton 1
Tampa Bay 3
Vancouver 3
Florida 5
Anaheim 1
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