Dallas Is Adept on Road

Joe Nieuwendyk and Darryl Sydor each had a goal and two assists as the Dallas Stars won their franchise-high 20th road game Thursday night, a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in a battle of division leaders at Denver.

Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov, Neal Broten and Guy Carbonneau also scored for the Central Division-leading Stars, who won their fourth in a row.

Vancouver 6, Phoenix 2--Martin Gelinas had four goals and an assist to lead the Canucks over the Coyotes at Vancouver.

Florida 3, St. Louis 2--With 1:10 remaining in the Panthers’ fourth consecutive overtime game, Rob Niedermayer scored to lift Florida to a victory at Miami.

Boston 6, Tampa Bay 2--Embattled Bruin star Adam Oates was cheered in his return to Boston--even before his three assists helped his team snap a 10-game winless streak.

With the Bruins mired in an 0-8-2 slump last week toward the end of their longest trip of the season, Oates ripped Bruin management for assembling an undermanned team.

New Jersey 4, Buffalo 1--Dave Ellett scored early in the third period to break a tie, and the Devils continued to reap benefits from their trade with Toronto by beating the Sabres at East Rutherford, N.J..

The Devils won for the second time in as many games since acquiring Doug Gilmour and Ellett from the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Buffalo’s 12-game unbeaten streak was ended.

Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 1--Igor Larionov had a goal and two assists as the Red Wings beat the Penguins at Detroit.

Pittsburgh lost the NHL’s top scorer when Jaromir Jagr aggravated a recent groin injury.