Canucks Beat Stars in Overtime

Vancouver 2, Dallas 1 (OT)

Vancouver Canucks center Jan Bulis (38) of the Czech Republic celebrates his goal as Dallas Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher (43) looks on during the third period of Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals hockey game in Dallas Sunday, April 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp) (Tim Sharp - AP)

DALLAS -- The Vancouver Canucks have cracked the code. Take the Dallas Stars to overtime and victory eventually will be theirs.

Taylor Pyatt scored on a one-timer from the left circle 7:47 into the extra period Sunday night, giving the Canucks a 2-1 victory Sunday night and a 2-1 lead in this first-round Western Conference series.

Both of Vancouver's win this series have come after the third period. The Canucks won the opener in four overtimes.

"When we scored, we could tell they looked scared," said Jan Bulis, who scored Vancouver's first goal. "It was like they didn't want to win it in regulation, they wanted to get it into overtime. They never found their rhythm and it was up to us to take it."

Dallas may have looked eager for overtime, but the record shows that wasn't wise.

This was the Stars' sixth straight overtime playoff loss. They're in a 1-9 rut since 2001, the year after they last made the Stanley Cup finals _ and all but one of those losses have come with Marty Turco in goal.

Turco, who's lost his last three postseason series, is trying to shed the label of playoff underachiever. Coming off his first career playoff shutout, he was headed toward another until allowing a tying goal in the third period, then Pyatt's winner.

He was good, making 35 saves. It just wasn't good enough.

"It's a matter of not getting frustrated and sticking with your game plan," Turco said. "The overtime loss speaks for itself, but I believe in these guys. The next time we get in an overtime situation we'll be playing to win again."

Another postseason problem for Dallas is winning at home. This was Stars' fifth straight home playoff loss covering three series. They'll try ending the skid again in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

"You need to play to win and find a way to win," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "We haven't been able to find a way to make the play that counts."

Pyatt's goal was set up by a pass from Bryan Smolinski. The goal was was his first ever in the playoffs.