Carolina Gets Tie With Dallas

After mental lapses cost them dearly in their first two games, the Carolina Hurricanes stressed playing a full 60 minutes Thursday night at Greensboro, N.C.

The Hurricanes took it a step further, battling the Dallas Stars to a 2-2 tie with 65 solid minutes of hockey as Keith Primeau and Gary Roberts scored 48 seconds apart early in the third period.

“That was the best 65 minutes that this hockey team has put together in a long time,” Primeau said. “How can you not be excited, enthusiastic and pleased with the effort.”

“Those guys play their system as good as anybody in the league and any time you can take a point from the Dallas Stars, whether it’s at home or on the road, we’ve got to feel good about it,” Roberts said. “The wins will come if we play as hard as we did tonight.”

Dallas’ Mike Modano tied the score with 12:47 left with a shot from the circle to the short side of goalie Arturs Irbe, playing for the benched Trevor Kidd. Modano has three goals in as many games this season.

Irbe stopped 36 of 38 shots against his former team.

Phoenix 5, Colorado 2--Oleg Tverdovsky broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal in the third period, and Rick Tocchet, Teppo Numminen and Mike Stapleton scored even-strength goals to lead the Coyotes at Phoenix.

It was Colorado’s fourth loss in as many games as the 1996 Stanley Cup champions continued to struggle under first-year Coach Bob Hartley.

The Coyotes had not beaten the Avalanche franchise on home ice since Dec. 23, 1993, when they were based in Winnipeg and the Avalanche were in Quebec.