Stars Witness Budding Star

When Dallas Stars veteran goaltender Marty Turco suited up to play, he probably never imagined his opponent 200 feet away would be a rookie.

But a rookie he did face, as the Stars squeaked out a 2-1 win at the American Airlines center in Dallas, Texas.  Cory Schneider got his first taste as a starter this season, and put on a show that left a lot of Stars’ fans checking their programs to make sure it wasn’t Roberto Luongo.

American Airlines Center, home of Cory Schneider's 1st start of the season - Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Canucks really looked like a club that had played the night before, and three in four nights.  Dallas was often first to loose pucks, and their quick forecheck turned over a number of pucks in the neutral zone.  Brad Richards had a strong game, and Marty Turco turned away 32 of 33 shots in the win.

Schneider finished the night stopping 45 of 47 shots for a .957 save percentage.  “You could tell that we were out of gas, but we woke up in the third, came out flying, and nearly snuck out a point,” said the Marblehead, Massachusetts native.

One of Schneider's 22 saves in the 1st period - Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson were both robbed in the first period by Schneider.  Each player was alone in the low slot, unmarked, but the Boston College product flashed his glove hand and left pad to deny the chances.  It wasn’t until the 8:05 mark of the 2nd period, and 29th shot on goal that Dallas broke through.

“They were the quicker and more effective team in the first two periods,” said coach Alain Vigneault. “We had one player fresh and that was our goaltender. He had a great outing and gave us a chance to stay in it.”

The Canucks appeared to have tied the game at 2 with 15:41 left, as Henrik Sedin jammed a loose puck past a sprawling Marty Turco.  But a controversial call pulled the goal back, with referee Steve Kozari claiming that the whistle blew prior to it going in.  No whistle, stoppage, or Turco covering the puck could be detected on the replay.

Schneider: "This helps my confidence. I learned a lot tonight. You never know when you're going to get your next chance. You've got to make the most of it."

Vancouver will now take advantage of a few days rest, having played nine in fourteen nights.  They head to Missouri, where they’re hosted by the  St. Louis Blues Tuesday night.