Blues, Stars play to 2-2 deadlock

ST. LOUIS -- Jere Lehtinen scored off a drop pass from Mike Modano midway through the third period and had an assist as the Dallas Stars tied the St. Louis Blues 2-2 Wednesday night.

Modano also scored for the Stars, playing the Blues for the first time since they were swept by St. Louis in the Western Conference semifinals last spring. Ed Belfour stopped three shots in the final 10 seconds of overtime.

Pavol Demitra and Keith Tkachuk each had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who have three ties. Doug Weight assisted on both goals.

Demitra, Tkachuk and Weight, who are together on the power play and often skate on the same line, have combined for 23 points in the Blues' first five games. The rest of the team has 23 points.

Demitra has a goal in all five of the Blues' games and Tkachuk has a goal in three straight, and has five assists in the last four games. Tkachuk had a goal and three assists against the Stars in the playoffs last spring.

Lehtinen beat Fred Brathwaite with his third goal at 10:27, scoring from the slot. He also four assists, leading the Stars with seven points in six games after scoring 45 points in 74 games last season.

The Blues have blown three third-period leads in five games, giving up four goals to the Kings in the home opener Oct. 11 and tying Columbus in the season opener.

Pierre Turgeon, who has four assists in five games, was scoreless in his first game in St. Louis since signing with the Stars. Turgeon nearly set up the game-winner in overtime, but Brathwaite stopped Modano in front.

Modano gave the Stars the lead on a backhander that bounced off the post and then goalie Fred Brathwaite at 5:53 of the first.

The Blues scored on consecutive shots to take the lead. Tkachuk tied it with his third goal on a power play at 7:04, getting two pokes at the puck before stuffing it past Belfour.

Demitra scored his fifth goal at 9:24 off an assist by Weight.