by ldh2013 » Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:37 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. The Stars not only made their dads happy Tuesday night, they secured a key victory that improved their playoff chances. Antoine Roussel scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, Kari Lehtonen stopped 26 shots and the Stars beat the sluggish Phoenix Coyotes 3-1 in front of 27 dads who took advantage of the franchises father road trip. "This is a little extra bonus," Lehtonen said of having his pop in the stands. "Its nice to have him here." Shawn Horcoff also scored and Ryan Garbutt added an empty-netter for the Stars, who won their second straight game and moved within one point of Phoenix and two of Vancouver, which holds the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Not bad for a team that less than a month ago was mired in a six-game losing streak. "It was a big win for us tonight," Garbutt said. "We had the dads in town and it was a fun game for the guys to play. Its kind of nice for the guys to be on a roll right now." Antoine Vermette scored his eighth goal in nine games and Mike Smith made 37 saves for the Coyotes, who were thoroughly outplayed in the final two periods despite the games importance. "It was really disappointing," Vermette said. "We have to find a way to win these games." Tied at 1 entering the third period despite a 31-18 edge in shots, the Stars took advantage of a bad line change and Kyle Chipchuras turnover at centre ice. The sequence ended with Roussels wrist shot from between the circles that beat Smith on the glove side at 3:25 for his ninth goal. "We turned over a lot of pucks and in the 1-on-1 battles just didnt do enough to give ourselves a better chance to win," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. It was another solid defensive effort for the Stars, three nights after blanking NHL-leading Anaheim 2-0 at the beginning of a three-game trip. When they arrived in Phoenix, so did most of the players fathers. They watched the Super Bowl together Sunday and visited a dude ranch Monday. The fathers then had great seats for Dallas fifth win in seven games and a big victory against another team jockeying for a playoff spot. Phoenix entered the night in ninth place in the West with 62 points, while Dallas was 10th with 59. With eight teams going to the playoffs and Vancouver losing at Boston earlier in the evening, Tuesdays meeting and Saturdays rematch in Dallas meant an opportunity to create space and clinch the season series. "We talked about this morning that two teams that are pretty similar and tight, somebodys going to take advantage of an opportunity and win a game," Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said. "And I thought we were able to push through." Perhaps not surprisingly, there was little to separate the teams in the first period. And while the Stars had better chances early in the second, it was Vermette who continued his hot streak with a breakaway goal midway through the period to put Phoenix ahead. Vermette won the puck along the boards at centre ice and skated in alone, sending a backhander past Lehtonen at 9:18 to make it 1-0. It was Vermettes team-best 21st goal. Shortly after Vermette nearly scored another breakaway goal while short-handed, and with the Phoenix crowd booing what it felt should have been a Dallas penalty, the Stars tied it. Horcoffs no-look backhander from the slot on the power play slipped past Smith with 7:28 left in the second period. Dallas controlled the final period, with Garbutts empty-net goal with 26.7 seconds left putting it away and setting up a happy postgame reunion with the dads. "I think the ones whose sons scored are especially proud of them," Ruff said. "And they get to see it live. That part is good." NOTES: The Stars improved to 12-2-2 against Pacific Division opponents. ... Vermettes career-best, eight-game point streak matches Shane Doans for the longest of the season for the Coyotes. ... Vermette (367) and teammate Keith Yandle (359) extended the third- and fourth-longest active consecutive games played streaks in the NHL. ... The Coyotes have won consecutive games just once since mid-December. .com) - Andrew Shaw scored twice and the Chicago Blackhawks thumped the Arizona Coyotes, 6-1. . Logan Couture scored in the shootout and San Jose beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Monday night. The Sharks (8-0-1) are the NHLs last team without a regulation loss. . -- A smattering of boos cascaded down on the Green Bay Packers at the half, trailing by double digits on a bone-chilling afternoon at Lambeau Field.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills could identify a new owner within three months, leading Gov. Andrew Cuomos stepping up the states efforts to secure the franchises long-term future in the region. A person familiar with the sale process told The Associated Press on Saturday there is an anticipation that the Bills could be sold by July, and the sale approved by NFL owners as early as the leagues meetings in October. The same person and another person also told the AP that at least one prospective ownership group has already toured potential new stadium locations in Buffalo. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the sale process has not been made public. The person would not identify which ownership group toured the city, what sites were viewed or who provided the tour. The Bills future in Buffalo is uncertain after team owner and founder Ralph Wilson died in March. Wilsons estate is in the process of hiring an investment banking firm that would oversee the sale of the team, which is expected to go to the highest bidder. The updated timetable has led Cuomo to speed up the states involvement in protecting its interests in preventing the Bills from relocating. The state intends to hire a consulting firm over the next week to produce a report within three months that would be issued to prospective owners. The report would identify potential stadium sites and outline public financing options that would be made available. That firm would work with sports business attorney Irwin Raij, whose contract was extended last month, to represent the state during the sale process. . Raij specializes in stadium development projects and lease agreements. In 2012, he represented New York in negotiating the Bills 10-year lease that included a strict non-relocation clause that makes it difficult for the team to move before the 2020 season. The firm would produce its report ahead of the "New Stadium Working Group," a committee made up of public and private leaders, including Bills executives. The group has already met twice over the past month and is responsible for making recommendations whether a new stadium or renovations to the teams current home best fit the franchises needs to remain viable in Buffalo once the lease expires in 2023. The working group is expected to take six months or longer before making its recommendations, well after the team could be sold. Cuomo is intent on making sure a framework of a plan is in place much sooner, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy told the AP during a visit through the region Friday. "The governor wants to be prepared if there are any earlier offers to buy the team," Duffy said. "Our team is looking at sites now in Erie County, Buffalo, Niagara County. Were just being prepared because we dont know who the next owner will be. Were not sure what the goals and the objectives of the next ownership team will be." ' ' '
