Stars Defeat Rangers, Clinch Best Record

The Dallas Stars are again the best in the regular season.

The Stars clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the second consecutive season with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers Friday night at Dallas.

Joe Nieuwendyk had a goal and an assist as Dallas set a franchise mark with 110 points, breaking the old mark of 109 set last season. The trophy goes to the team with the best record during the regular season.

The Stars also set a club record with their 27th home victory, beating the mark set in three different seasons, including last year, and tied the team record with their 49th victory.

Last season, the Stars were knocked out of the playoffs in the Western Conference finals by eventual champion Detroit.

“I think there’s a tendency to downgrade the Presidents’ Trophy because there seems to be such a burden that goes along with it,” Star Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “But I prefer to look at it as a reward for seven months of tremendous effort. We’re glad to be right where we’re at.”

The Trophy will be presented to the Stars before Sunday afternoon’s home game against the Kings.

“It’s huge,” Star goalie Ed Belfour said. “It shows we’ve worked hard all season. Getting home ice was a goal of ours at the start of the season, and it’s a real positive for us.”

Mike Keane and Dave Reid also had goals for the Stars.

Detroit 1, St. Louis 1--The Red Wings’ eight-game win streak was stopped a game short of tying a club-record when Pierre Turgeon scored his 31st goal at St. Louis.

Sergei Fedorov scored for Detroit, which has won nine consecutive games four times.

Edmonton 4, Calgary 1--Mike Grier scored twice and Ethan Moreau’s scored his first goal with the Oilers as Edmonton solidified its hold on a playoff spot at Edmonton, Canada.

Ryan Smyth had the other goal for the Oilers, who are three points ahead of their provincial rivals in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Buffalo 3, Florida 1--Miroslav Satan and Jason Woolley each had a goal and an assist and as the Sabres knocked the Panthers out of the playoff race at Buffalo.

The Sabres’ victory moves Buffalo into sixth place among Eastern Conference playoff qualifiers. Buffalo’s win allowed Carolina to clinch the Southeast Division and be the third-seeded team in the playoffs.

Nashville 4, Phoenix 3--Rookie Rob Valicevic scored twice in the third period, doubling his season total for the Predators at Phoenix.

Drake Berehowsky scored late in the second period for the Predators, who had scored nine goals in the six previous games, and Cliff Ronning had two assists against his former teammates.

Greg Adams had two goals for Phoenix, one on a power play, and Keith Tkachuk scored one.