Detroit Ignites in a Hurry, 4-2

Steve Yzerman started a flurry of three Detroit goals in a 1:02 span of the first period as the Red Wings broke out of a recent scoring slump Friday night with a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars in Detroit.

The Red Wings, held to 11 goals in their last five games, scored on four of their first five shots against two Dallas goaltenders. Former Stars’ forward Brent Gilchrist and Kris Draper followed Yzerman with goals on consecutive shots midway through the first period, and that all came after Nicklas Lidstrom scored on Detroit’s first shot.

Benoit Hogue and Joe Nieuwendyk scored third-period goals for Dallas.

“We have too many people in our group who don’t believe we can beat this team,” Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Until . . . we can find a way to change that attitude, nothing else matters.”

The win ended a two-game home losing streak for the Red Wings, who were 2-4-2 in their previous eight games. Dallas had a three-game winning streak and a four-game unbeaten string stopped.

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood made 22 saves. The Stars’ Ed Belfour, who was removed after giving up Detroit’s first three goals but returned for the second period, had 16 saves.

New York Rangers 4, Carolina 3--Alexei Kovalev scored twice and Wayne Gretzky added a goal and two assists for the visiting Rangers.

Gretzky assisted on Kovalev’s game winner midway through the third period after the Hurricanes scored two goals in a span of 4:33 to tie the score, 3-3.

“Alex is playing with a great deal of confidence now,” Gretzky said. “When I got out there all I really wanted to do was get Alex the puck.”

The first appearance of Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time scoring leader, at the Greensboro Coliseum drew a crowd of 19,358--the largest of the season for the Hurricanes, who were averaging fewer than 9,000 through their first 11 home games since moving from Hartford, Conn., in May.

The Hurricanes were 8-3-1 in their past 12 games, but played without leading scorer Gary Roberts, captain Kevin Dineen and goaltender Trevor Kidd, all out with injuries.

Colorado 3, Toronto 1--Peter Forsberg had a goal and two assists and Craig Billington filled in admirably for an injured Patrick Roy to lead the Avalanche over the Maple Leafs at Denver.

Claude Lemieux, coming off a three-goal, two-assist performance Tuesday, added the game winner in the second period. The Avalanche improved to 28-0-2, dating to 1995, when Lemieux scores a goal.

Joe Sakic’s empty-net goal with 24.3 seconds remaining clinched the win for Colorado and ended Toronto’s three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1).

Billington, who started because Roy has a partially dislocated left shoulder, stopped 24 of 25 shots through the first 40 minutes and finished with 33 saves.