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DALLAS (AP) – Dallas' Grumpy Old Men are making life miserable
for the Edmonton Oilers.
John MacLean scored the tying goal with 4:22 left in regulation,
then assisted on Kirk Muller's winner 8:01 into overtime, giving
the Stars a 4-3 victory Thursday night and a 3-2 lead in the
first-round series.
|  | | With Jason Smith (21) unable to clear the puck, Oilers goalie Tommy Salo can't stop Kirk Muller's winner in overtime. |
Mike Keane, the third member of the line of 30-something
veterans whose names are on the Stanley Cup five times, assisted on
both goals as the Stars recovered from an early third-period
meltdown.
"To me it's fitting, because the entire team followed their
lead all night," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said.
The Stars will try ending the series, which has featured four
overtime games and all five decided by one goal, on Saturday in
Edmonton.
A victory would continue the Stars' quest to become
the first team to reach three straight Stanley Cup finals since the
Oilers in 1983-85.
Muller, MacLean and Keane were breaking into the NHL around
then. Now ages 35, 36 and 33, they've played a combined 393 playoff
games and are still coming up big.
"That's why Keane, Muller and MacLean are a sought-after
commodity, because they're gritty and score big goals at key
times," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said.
The amazing thing is that Dallas pulled Muller out of a forced
retirement in the middle of last season, then rescued MacLean from
the minors this season.
"They get very offended when people tell them they're old and
they're not able to compete," Hitchcock said. "This is their time
of year to compete. This is when they shine. They love it."
Another indication of veteran leadership: This was the sixth
straight time Dallas has won Game 5 of a series tied at 2.
The younger, fresher-legged Oilers surprisingly came out flat
after a bone-crunching victory in the previous game. Not only did
they not hit Dallas much, they didn't shoot much, either.
Edmonton had just five shots through two periods and were down
2-0 on goals by Jere Lehtinen and Jamie Langenbrunner. Oilers right
wing Anson Carter said they had "no spunk ... no grit."
Then Carter, Doug Weight and Eric Brewer scored on consecutive
shots in a 2:57 span early in the third period to put Edmonton
ahead 3-2 with 14:31 left.
"We weren't battling hard. We were going through the motions
and I don't know why," Carter said. "When we turned up the effort
in the third period, we were a totally different club."
Dallas got a boost about five minutes later when Mike Modano
returned after taking a puck off his nose late in the second
period. Modano took 25 stitches and had a purplish lump across the
bridge of his nose.
The Stars got another lift when Todd Marchant was caught hooking
Modano soon after.
Edmonton snuffed both momentum builders, only to see MacLean
wrist one past Tommy Salo from the left faceoff circle to tie the
game with 4:22 to play.
Salo, who had 30 saves, and Dallas goalie Ed Belfour, who had 15
stops, each made big plays in overtime. Salo had just made a stop
when MacLean controlled the puck near the boards and fired it to
Muller a few feet beyond the crease. He knocked it in for his
fourth career overtime winner.
"You have to give everyone credit tonight," Muller said.
"They fought back, but fortunately we kept our composure and got a
good bounce and got the goal."
There was venom early as Dallas fans booed the Canadian anthem,
just as Edmonton fans had done to the "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Doug Weight and Jason Smith, whom Stars supporters considered the
villains of Game 4, also were booed loudly.
But it took 6½ minutes for the first penalty and 15 minutes for
the first rumble, a pushing-and-shoving match after Edmonton's Rem
Murray threw down Langenbrunner in front of the Oilers' net.
"I got the feeling early on that we were really nervous,"
MacTavish said. "It could be a number of reasons. But in the third
period, I thought we had momentum on our side.
"It would've been a big win for us, but we forgot to
execute."
Game notes
This was the ninth overtime in 26 playoff games between the
teams over the last five postseasons. It was the 19th one-goal game
in that span. ... Four overtimes in one series ties a postseason
record for Edmonton and is one shy of the NHL record. ....
MacLean's goal was his first in the playoffs since April, 1998 _
against Dallas. He was with San Jose then. ... Edmonton was without
left wing Ethan Moreau, who hurt his left foot early in Game 2. He
missed Game 3 and played only a few minutes in Game 4. ... Stars
defenseman Sergei Zubov has a point in every game of the series.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Edmonton Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
Oilers-Stars Series Page
RECAPS
Philadelphia 3
Buffalo 1
St. Louis 3
San Jose 2
Dallas 4
Edmonton 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 John MacLean ties up the game and sends it into overtime.
avi: 594 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
Kirk Muller scores the game-winner in overtime and gives the Stars a 3-2 series lead.
avi: 642 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN'
'Cable Modem
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