Stars Work Late for Win

Benoit Hogue scored with 12 seconds remaining in the first overtime as the Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, Sunday night at Edmonton, Canada, to give the Stars a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series.

Hogue scored the game-winner by knocking in the rebound of a shot by Brett Hull past Edmonton goalie Tommy Salo.

“I went wide and then cut right to the middle and just put it in,” said Hogue, who also scored an overtime winner to give the Stars a 2-1 series lead when the teams met in the 1998 playoffs.

Both of Dallas’ victories have come in overtime. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in Edmonton.

The Oilers stunned Dallas with two goals in the final 1:03 of regulation. Rem Murray’s goal with seven seconds left tied the game at 2-2.

Dallas goalie Ed Belfour left the crease to play the puck in a corner but was checked by Georges Laraque, who got the puck out to Ryan Smyth for an easy shot into an open net at 18:57 that cut the Stars’ lead to 2-1.

New Jersey 2, Carolina 0--Martin Brodeur made 18 saves for his ninth career playoff shutout and the Devils again dominated the Hurricanes in taking a 2-0 series lead at East Rutherford, N.J.

New Jersey’s Scott Stevens created some bad blood with 11.7 seconds remaining in the game with a big hit on Hurricane rookie Shane Willis, a check reminiscent of the one that knocked out Eric Lindros in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference playoffs.