Game Recap

DALLAS 2, VANCOUVER 1 DALLAS (AP) - Marty Turco, the Dallas Stars goalie of the future, is playing like the No. 1 guy right now. Turco stopped 24 shots in place of struggling starter Ed Belfour and Brett Hull scored his 637th career goal as the Stars beat Vancouver, 2-1, Monday night, handing the Canucks their fourth consecutive defeat. Turco played in place of Belfour, who allowed five goals in two periods in Sunday night's 5-2 defeat at Phoenix. Turco's start was decided before Belfour's outing Sunday night. "We were good from the goalie on out," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "This is really eight or nine games now where he's played well. That's the performance you expect from him." When asked whether Belfour or Turco will start Wednesday night's home game against New Jersey in a rematch of last June's Stanley Cup finalists, Hitchcock said, "Ask me on Wednesday." "Eddie's our starter," he added. "But he struggled last night. There are also times in the schedule when he wins games by himself." Turco was 1:42 from his second shutout when Vancouver's Markus Naslund scored his 29th goal, but Turco hung on to improve to 6-1 in his last seven starts. Mike Modano added a goal and an assist for the Stars, 7-3 in their last 10 games. Hull missed a penalty shot with 7:24 left when his 25-footer was smothered by Vancouver goalie Felix Potvin. Hull went in alone and was hauled down by Adrian Aucoin to earn the penalty shot. Hull said he took no game plan into the penalty shot. He thought he saw an opening and took a shot rather than coming in closer and making a move on Potvin. Hull has failed to convert on all four career penalty shots. "My stick got caught in the ice, and I didn't get the shot I wanted," he said. "Penalty shots aren't my thing ... too much thinking." Said Potvin: "I think the ice didn't help him at all. It was late in the period and the ice was chewed up a bit." The Stars capitalized on an early double minor to the Canucks on Modano's power play rebound at 3:48 of the first period. The goal was only the second for Modano in his last 14 games and his first since Jan. 12. Hull notched his 27th goal of the season on a one-timer from the slot at 17:38 of the second period, strengthening his hold on seventh place on the NHL career goal-scoring list. Hull is two ahead of Detroit's Steve Yzerman. DALLAS STARS 2, Vancouver Canucks 1 1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL --- --- --- ----- Vancouver 0 0 1 1 Dallas 1 1 0 2 FIRST PERIOD - SCORING: 1, Dallas, Modano 14 (Sydor, Marshall), 3:48 (pp). PENALTIES: Stapleton, Van, double minor (high-sticking), :30; Lukowich, Dal (tripping), 12:04. SECOND PERIOD - SCORING: 2, Dallas, Hull 27 (Modano), 17:38. PENALTIES: Keane, Dal (ob.-holding stick), 5:10; Helenius, Dal, major (fighting), 8:34; Strudwick, Van, major (fighting), 8:34; H.Sedin, Van (holding), 9:51; Hull, Dal (interference), 11:43; Turco, Dal, served by Keane (slashing), 12:19. THIRD PERIOD - SCORING: 3, Vancouver, Naslund 29 (Bertuzzi), 18:18. PENALTIES: Brashear, Van (ob.-hooking), 1:15; Modano, Dal (hooking), 5:06; Lehtinen, Dal (ob.-tripping), 9:46; Bertuzzi, Van (roughing), 20:00. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- Vancouver 5 11 9 25 Dallas 11 7 12 30 MISSED PENALTY SHOT: Hull, Dal, 12:36 third. POWER PLAY: Vancouver 0 of 6; Dallas 1 of 4. GOALIES: Vancouver, Potvin 12-16-3 (30 shots-28 saves). Dallas, Turco 9-3-0 (25-24). Referees: Blaine Angus, Greg Kimmerly. Linesmen: Brad Kovachik, Mark Wheler. A: 17,001 (17,001).