Stars Improve To A 5 Game Winning Streak

Sunday, November 25th 2007, 4:01 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brenden Morrow's power-play goal early in the third period lifted Dallas to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday and stretched the Stars' winning streak to five games.

Despite being outshot 41-18, the Stars used a sizzling power play to win the first of a six-game road trip that will take them to all five teams in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.

Loui Eriksson scored his first of the season, on the power play, to tie it in the second after Jussi Jokinen got the Stars even at 1 in the opening period.

Jaromir Jagr snapped out of a slump with a goal, and Brendan Shanahan also scored for the Rangers, who dropped their second straight at home after a five-game winning streak there.

Mike Smith, starting over Marty Turco for the fourth time in five games, made 39 saves for the Stars -- 5-0-1 since general manager Doug Armstrong and team president Jim Lites were fired.

The Stars were 2-for-3 on the power play and have scored on 10 of 21 chances the past seven games.

The winner was set up by Mike Ribeiro, who deftly skated around defenseman Dan Girardi, and fed Morrow for a tap-in at the right post 4:04 into the third. Jagr gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with some help from Stars defenseman Trevor Daley. After another Dallas defenseman, Philippe Boucher turned over the puck in the Rangers zone, Jagr kept it in at the left point. He centered a pass to Brandon Dubinsky before
getting it back as he skated toward the net.

Jagr tried to pass the puck from the bottom of the left circle to Martin Straka in front, but Daley, skating toward the net, deflected it in with his outstretched stick at 6:30. He had gone five games without a point since posting a goal and assist on November 14 at New Jersey.

It looked as though the Rangers would get out of the first period with at least a one goal lead, but Dallas tied it with the teams skating 4-on-4.

Scott Gomez darted in the middle of the Dallas zone but had the puck smacked away by Stephane Robidas. Jokinen corralled the puck in his end and darted the other way. He cut to his left in front of goalie Henrik Lundqvist and tucked a shot inside the post to tie it with 52 seconds remaining.

New York regained the lead 1:02 into the second when Shanahan got to a loose puck after a pass from behind the net from Sean Avery and knocked in his seventh goal.

The Rangers controlled the action throughout the frame, but Eriksson, replacing injured Jere Lehtinen on the Stars' top line, got behind Marcel Hossa and Girardi after a pass from former Rangers defenseman Sergei Zubov and beat Lundqvist between the pads
with 8:06 left in the period.

New York held a 29-9 shots advantage through 40 minutes but had only a tie to show for it.