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ST. Max Unger . LOUIS -- The Dallas Stars are trying to make a late playoff push. Against a team battling for first place overall in the league, the Stars stepped up their game. Colton Sceviour got the first two goals and Antoine Roussel scored on a breakaway in the third period to give the Stars a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. "This was a huge test for us," goalie Kari Lehtonen said. "One of the best teams in the league and we played last night and travelled here late, and showed up, and it was just a huge win." Cody Eakin had a goal and assist and Lehtonen made 33 saves for the Stars, who have won four of five in pursuit of a Western Conference playoff spot. Dallas entered the day three points out of a playoff spot before winning for the second straight night and saddling the Blues with just their sixth regulation home loss. The Stars opened a five-game trip after beating the Predators 7-3 on Friday and won without production from their top line of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Valeri Nichushkin. "I dont know if desperation is the word. That kind of sounds bad," Sceviour said. "But definitely we feel like these are games we need to win. "This is a start and we want to build off it." Alex Steen had a pair of power-play goals for the Blues, who had been 8-0-2 in their previous 10 at home including an overtime loss to Dallas earlier this month. St. Louis fell one point behind Boston for first place overall in the NHL after a showing coach Ken Hitchcock labeled "sloppy." "What we are right now is too inconsistent," Hitchcock said. "Weve got too many players who are having good games and then are following it up with poor games." "Have to send a few messages here in the next couple games and see if we can get everybodys attention." Dallas led 1-0 and 3-1 against the Central Division leaders. Roussel skated in alone on Ryan Miller for the clincher after the puck hopped over defenceman Kevin Shattenkirks stick at the opposite blue line at 7:56 of the third. If the Blues had been ahead, Shattenkirk would not have been trying to hold the line. "We feel like wed been all over them in the third period, then they get the fourth one," Steen said. "We were a little late tonight." Steen has 33 goals on the season. He scored on a deflection from the high slot in the second period and beat Lehtonen scrambling across the net on a long rebound in the opening minute of the third, each time shaving the deficit to one. Sceviour has three goals the past two games and Eakin also has scored in consecutive games for the Stars. Hitchcock picked a trio of former Stars -- Steve Ott, Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy -- for the opening faceoff. That line surrendered the only goal of the first period, with Otts turnover leading to Sceviours sixth of the season, and finished a combined minus-5. Sceviour tapped in a rebound off his skate to make it 2-0 at 7:21 of the second. "Theyre not the prettiest goals, but well take them," Sceviour said. Dallas needed just 25 seconds to answer Steens first goal on Eakins deflection. Notes: Stars D Alex Goligoski tied his career high with four points against Nashville on Friday a day later when a scoring change gave him a fourth assist in a 7-3 victory over Nashville, and he had an assist in the second period against St. Louis. Goligoskis other four-point game came with Pittsburgh when he had a goal and three assists against Tampa Bay on Jan. 5, 2011. ... Stars F Vernon Fiddler earned his 200th career point on a second-period assist. ... Stars coach Lindy Ruff worked his 1,239th game, tying Bryan Murray for 10th on the career list. ... Shattenkirk had two assists and set career highs with 35 assists and 44 points. ... Steen has three goals and four assists the past four games. ... David Backes had an assist for 356 career points, passing Pierre Turgeon for 11th in Blues history. 12th Fan Jersey . His agent told TSN that the deal is "virtually done" and will be official in the next day or two. The news comes with Torontos season opener set for this Saturday on the road against the Seattle Sounders (TSN, 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt). Tony McDaniel Authentic Jersey . The Winnipeg Jets head coach, whose parents are French-Canadian, lost much of his mother tongue the result of playing and coaching hockey in the U.S. but still speaks enough to get by. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- It just wouldnt be the World Cup without Germany in the semifinals. Harnessing all their big-game experience, the Germans delivered a performance of maturity and efficiency to hold off France 1-0 on Friday and become the first team to reach four straight semifinals in the sports marquee tournament. Defender Mats Hummels scored the winning goal in the 13th minute, outmuscling his marker at a free kick to glance a header in off the underside of the crossbar. Criticized for poor defending in earlier matches, Germany selected a more robust lineup and restricted a flat France team to only a handful of clear-cut opportunities in muggy conditions. "There was not much in it," France coach Didier Deschamps said. But, "we dont have the international experience Germany has." While Frances young players slumped to the ground and some shed tears after the final whistle, the Germans soberly saluted all corners of the Maracana Stadium. One job done, nothing more. And next up for Germany is a meeting with host nation Brazil, which beat Colombia 2-1 later Friday. It will be Germanys 13th appearance in the semifinals in 20 editions of the World Cup. "I guess were playing the kind of football which will give us a chance to win," said Hummels, who produced a couple of decisive blocks to snuff out two good chances for France striker Karim Benzema. "We defended well today . I think we deserve to carry on." France struggled to impose the kind of attacking game that made the team one of the most exciting in Brazil during the group stage, although Benzema -- the teams chief attacking threat -- squandered chances in both halves. Late in the first half, the Real Madrid striker seized on a rebound following Manuel Neuers save from Mathieu Valbuenas shot but his close-range effort was deflected wide by Hummels. Then, in stoppage time, he created space for himself about eight yards out at an angle, but a fierce shot was swatted away by Neuer. "We played like a team again," said Germany captain Philipp Lahm, who returned to right back in one of a string of tactically astute chhanges made by coach Joachim Loew. Jeremy Lane Jersey. "Overall it was a good performance from us." In Loews eight-year tenure, Germany has reached the last four in every major tournament it has played -- but remains without a title since winning the European Championships in 1996. While the German team seemed comfortable at this level, the occasion was perhaps too much for a young, revamped France team playing together at the World Cup for the first time. And it continued Germanys recent dominance over France at World Cups. The most notorious of those previous meetings was in the 1982 semifinals in Spain, when Germany won on penalties following a 3-3 draw in a match marked by a late and high tackle by Germany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher on France defender Patrick Battiston that escaped punishment. That went down as one of the most riveting matches in World Cup history, but the rematch -- 32 years on -- couldnt have been more different. A turgid first half was illuminated by the goal from Hummels, who held off Raphael Varane and met a typically dead-eye delivery from Toni Kroos with a header that gave goalkeeper Hugo Lloris no chance. The warm and humid conditions played a part in the slow tempo of the game but France stepped up the pressure in the second half. Benzemas late chance got French fans excited but Germany should have been 2-0 ahead by then, with Lloris saving a low shot by substitute Andre Schuerrle on a counter-attack. "We just werent efficient enough," said Valbuena, who sat, dejected, on the field after the final whistle. "Our efforts just werent enough, its incredibly disappointing." Lineups: France: Hugo Lloris; Mathieu Debuchy, Raphael Varane, Mamadou Sakho (Laurent Koscielny, 72), Patrice Evra; Paul Pogba, Yohan Cabaye (Loic Remy, 73), Blaise Matuidi; Mathieu Valbuena (Olivier Giroud, 85), Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema. Germany: Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Hoewedes; Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Mesut Ozil (Mario Goetze, 83), Toni Kroos (Christophe Kramer, 90), Thomas Mueller; Miroslav Klose (Andre Schuerrle, 69). ' ' ' |
