BC-HKN–Stars-Avalanche,0501

Avalanche 5, Stars 1

By JOHN MARSHALL

AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) – The Colorado Avalanche made sure there wouldn’t be any comebacks this time.

Peter Forsberg had a goal and two assists, and David Aebischer stopped 21 shots to help Colorado beat the Dallas Stars 5-1 Saturday and close out the first-round series 4-1.

Colorado had lost five straight potential clinching games, including three consecutive in a first-round loss to Minnesota last year. The Avalanche avoided a similar fate by playing solid defense and scoring three goals in the third period.

Milan Hejduk scored for the third straight game and rookie Marek Svatos had three assists for Colorado, whose second-round opponent is yet to be determined. Darby Hendrickson, Steve Konowalchuk and Joe Sakic also had goals.

Forsberg had an assist on Hejduk’s goal midway through the third and added another on Sakic’s empty-netter with 4:56 left. He has points in 11 straight playoff games, tying the NHL record set by Jaromir Jagr in 1996.

The Stars finally got off to a good start with an early goal from Chris Therien, but couldn’t keep it going and lost in the first round for the first time since 1997.

Dallas, which missed the playoffs in 2002, managed just 22 shots against Aebischer and most of those were from the perimeter – just like in the first four games.

At least the Stars got off to a fast start after leading just 41/2 minutes before Game 5.

Dallas had good pressure early and Therien scored 5:39 in, taking a drop pass from Mike Modano and beating Aebischer between the pads from the right wing. It was Therien’s second of the series, making him Dallas’ leading goal-scorer in the playoffs after managing just one in the regular season.

Another unlikely source answered for Colorado.

Hendrickson, in the lineup because of Alex Tanguay’s bruised leg from Game 4, scored with 1:03 left in the period on a rebound after a failed wraparound. He had two goals in the regular season.

Konowalchuk gave Colorado its first lead on a power play 1:41 into the second period on a shot that caromed off Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher’s skate through Marty Turco’s legs.

That was a bad break. The next goal, by Forsberg 42 seconds into the third period, was just a bad play by Turco.

Forsberg weaved his way through Dallas’ defense, the flipped a soft backhander at Turco from a tough angle. Turco appeared to have the shot stopped underneath him, but the puck squirted into the goal when he rolled onto his back.

Notes: The game was delayed six minutes in the first period after Sakic’s shot shattered a pane of glass behind Dallas’ goal. … Colorado scored nine of its 19 goals in the series in the first period. … Dallas had won eight straight Game 5s. … Dallas lost two games in the series after scoring the first goal. The Stars were 30-5-5-1 in the regular season after scoring first.

AP-ES-04-17-04 1804EDT