Ice Hockey: Belfour shuts out Buffalo

MIKE MODANO, playing with a cast on his injured left wrist, set up both goals to lead the Dallas Stars to a 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the pivotal fifth game of the Stanley Cup finals on Thursday night.

Ed Belfour claimed the first shut-out of the series that has featured magnificent goaltending duels with Dominik Hasek by stopping all 23 shots the Sabres threw at him.

Belfour made nine saves in the first period, five in the second and nine more in the third as he stood up to all the pressure Buffalo could muster to record his third shut-out of this post-season.

Modano assisted on goals by Darryl Sydor in the second period and Pat Verbeek in the third as the twice President's Trophy winners moved within one victory of the trophy that really matters by taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

The Stars could win Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in history in Buffalo today.