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  Monday, Apr. 3 8:30pm ET
Flames keep slim playoff hopes alive
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

DALLAS (AP) -- The Calgary Flames still have a lot of work to do if they want to secure a playoff berth. They took a step in the right direction against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Phil Housley scored the tying goal with 6:52 left Monday night as the Flames rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit for a 2-2 tie with the Dallas Stars.

The point helped the 10th-place Flames in their longshot pursuit of the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

"It would be easy to quit, but we'll have none of it," Flames coach Brian Sutter said. "We've had 14 guys out of the lineup, but we've still worked so hard. It's a character thing."

Jeff Shantz broke up the bid of Stars backup goalie Manny Fernandez for his second career shutout. Shantz scored on a power-play deflection at 8:27 of the final period to narrow Dallas' lead to 2-1.

Housley got the Flames even with a fluke goal from the right corner when his centering pass went into the net off Fernandez's stick. Fernandez played in place of Ed Belfour, who was being rested.

Calgary has three games remaining, and Flames goalie Fred Brathwaite said his team won't be outworked the rest of the way.

"We haven't given up," said Brathwaite, who made 25 saves. "To come back against the Stanley Cup champs, it shows how much we want it."

Dallas' Brett Hull scored his 610th career goal to tie his father, Bobby, for ninth place on the career list.

Hull blasted a one-timer past Calgary's Brathwaite at 7:29 of the second period on a power play to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. Hull has 24 goals this season.

Bobby Hull played for Chicago from 1957-58 to 1971-72 and also played in the NHL with Winnipeg and Hartford in 1979-80. He scored 303 goals with Winnipeg in the World Hockey Association from 1972-73 to 1978-79.

The Hulls are the only father-son combination in league history with at least 600 goals apiece.

Bobby Hull wasn't at the game, but father and son got together recently when the Stars were in Chicago to talk about their accomplishments.

"I never thought it would happen," Brett Hull said. "It was a nice way to get it (on a power play with his signature one-time shot). It's quite an honor. He's a Hall of Fame player. To grow up a part of what he did, and then to accomplish this, it's something I'm very proud of."

Blowing the two-goal lead took some of the luster away from Hull's milestone and Stars coach Ken Hitchcock wasn't pleased with Dallas' effort over the final 25 minutes.

"We allowed the game to get tied because we didn't stay with the program," Hitchcock said. "We played a great territorial game the first two periods and then we fell off the wagon. We were our own worst enemy tonight. We had full control of the game and let them back in it."

Mike Modano continued his strong play with a goal and an assist for the Stars, 7-2-2 in 11 games.

Modano got the only goal of the first period at 6:09, scoring his 38th from the top of the circle on a power play. Modano has 22 goals and 24 assists over his last 32 games.
 


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