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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Kirk Muller can't explain his success against the Vancouver Canucks.
In three games against the Canucks this season, Muller has
scored three of his four goals -- two of them game-winners --
including the tie-breaker in the Dallas Stars' 2-1 victory on
Saturday night.
"I don't know. I don't know. There certainly hasn't been much
in the past," Muller said. "I just come in and help out. If I can
come in and do my part, that's all I'm trying to do."
Muller has proven to be a key addition to the Stars since they
signed him as a free-agent last month. In his Dallas debut, Muller
scored the game-winner in a 4-2 victory over the Canucks on Dec.
18.
With the game tied 1-1, Muller got to the puck behind the
Vancouver net, reversed directions and wrapped a shot in off the
far left post.
"I got a loose puck and I just tried to jam it and get it there
and fortunately it went in," Muller said.
Sergei Zubov scored a power-play goal, tying the game midway
through the second period.
Ed Belfour stopped 19 shots as Dallas -- 6-2-0-1 in its last eight games -- maintained a share of the top spot in the Pacific
Division standings with Phoenix.
Vadim Sharifijanov, acquired in Friday's trade with New Jersey,
scored on his first Canucks shift. Vancouver, coming off Thursday's
4-3 overtime win at Nashville, wasted an opportunity to win two
straight for the first time since Nov. 5.
Sharifijanov's goal came on a fluke play in which he caught
Belfour out of position 1:36 into the game.
Belfour was behind his own net attempting to play the puck, only
to have it bounce off him and to Sharifijanov. In one motion,
Sharifijanov got his stick on the puck and tapped it into the open
cage.
"Too bad we didn't win," said Sharifijanov, who had been left
out of the lineup in his last 15 games in New Jersey. "We had lots
of chances to score. I think everybody just played very well but
just didn't bury the chances."
Sharifijanov was among those who had opportunities to tie the
game. Four minutes into the third, Sharifijanov was 10 feet out
when he lifted a shot at the net only to have Belfour, who was
lying on his side, kick the puck away with his pad.
Despite the loss, Sharifijanov said it was nice to finally get a
chance to play.
"It feels like you can laugh again. I had lots of fun tonight," he said.
Belfour held the Canucks off the rest of the way, foiling Peter
Schaefer on a short-handed breakaway with six minutes left. Ten
minutes earlier, Belfour made a remarkable save while lying on his
side, getting his right pad up to stop Sharifijanov from in-close.
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock credited Belfour for not letting the
game-opening goal get to him.
"Maybe a couple of years ago that would bother Belfour," he said. "But that stuff just doesn't bother him any more. He's really taken a leadership role on our team. He's a calming influence."
Mike Modano and Brett Hull, who have combined to score 31 of the
Stars' 107 goals, missed the game with injuries. They are expected
to return for Dallas' next game, Wednesday at Anaheim.
The Canucks, already missing Alexander Mogilny (pelvic injury), lost rookie center Lubomir Vaic, who separated his left shoulder in the first period.
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Pittsburgh 2
Florida 5
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Colorado 3
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Phoenix 4
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Vancouver 1
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