WESTERN FINALS
GAME DAY PREVIEWS
GAME 3:
#2 DALLAS STARS vs #4 COLORADO AVALANCHE
Series tied 1-1
Game time: Friday May 19th, 2000 8pm at Colorado
The Colorado Avalanche hope home-ice advantage can help them recover tonight from Monday's loss as they look to take a two games to one advantage in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. Dallas won the battle and evened the war Monday as Mike Modano scored twice en route to a 3-2 victory over Colorado in Game Two. Brett Hull also scored and Ed Belfour stopped 20 shots for the Stars, who rebounded from Saturday's 2-0 loss to even the series.
Modano scored his seventh and eighth goals of the playoffs and Hull added his fifth as the defending Stanley Cup champions sent the rematch of last year's conference finalists to Colorado even at one game apiece.
Hull tied Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard for sixth all-time with his 82nd playoff goal. The physical nature of play from Game One spilled into Monday's battle, with a trip to the hospital and icedowns between shifts serving as highlights.
The Avalanche announced Wednesday that future Hall of Famer Ray Bourque will return tonight. The five-time Norris Trophy winner missed four games with a strained left knee ligament.
Bourque's defensive partner Adam Foote will not play tonight as he suffered an eye injury in Game Two. His eye was swollen shut after it was hit with an inadvertent stick by Jere Lehtinen.
Lehtinen, the two-time defending Selke Award winner and top-line left wing who played for the first time this postseason in Game One, had a solid night. He assisted on Modano's first goal and Hull's decisive tally.
The Stars are without rookie left wing Brenden Morrow, who suffered a broken ankle in Game One.
Colorado is 0-3 when trailing after two periods and 7-1 when scoring first in the playoffs. It allowed 17 shots in the second period, the most surrendered in a period this postseason.
Game Four is Sunday in Denver.