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DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars three Olympians sent their team into the Olympic break on a high note Saturday night. Finlands Kari Lehtonen made 26 saves to lead Dallas over the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Saturday night. He received plenty of help from the Stars defence and got goals from Ray Whitney and Russias Valeri Nichushkin. Canadas Jamie Benn assisted on Whitneys goal. The victory moved Dallas into the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference for the first time this season. "Weve come from a long way," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "Youve got to give the guys credit for digging in. "I thought if we got within three or four points at the break, we could be a serious contender. Weve exceeded that." The Stars and Coyotes have identical 27-21-10 records for 64 points, but Dallas holds a tiebreaker over Phoenix, which fell to ninth. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said his teams position at the break is "probably about where we should be. I think were better than that, but thats where we are." "Im not worrying about that too much yet," Lehtonen said of Dallas position in the standings. "Its good that were moving to the right direction. We just have to keep going." He was more impressed by defeating Phoenix twice in five days to make up four points on the Coyotes. "They were huge games both times. I really like it when we play well as a team." Dallas limited Phoenix to 27 shots, 13 in the third period. Lehtonen shut them out until Radim Vrbata scored on a power play with 15 seconds remaining. The Coyotes had six skaters to the Stars four because Tippett had pulled goalie Mike Smith, who had 31 saves. "Again (Lehtonen) was rock solid," said Ruff, an assistant coach for Canadas Olympic team. "He came up with some big saves. One when we were killing a penalty he went down low and made a glove save. He made a big stop on their breakaway when they were short-handed. "The only thing I would like to have seen was for him to get the shutout." "We couldnt generate too much offensively," Vrbata said. "But I think (Smiths) playing the way we know he can play. Hopefully, hes going to stay like that and we can do a little better for him." Whitney scored just 2:10 into the game. Nichushkin scored at 19:26 of the second period, deflecting in a shot by Trevor Daley. Dallas took the early lead when Whitney carried the puck into the Phoenix zone along the left side, skated into the slot and sent a wrist shot past Smith into the upper right corner of the net. "It was kind of not much happening in the first period until we decided we didnt want to back check on a play and give them the first goal," Tippett said. "That was something we talked about as a group, if we get behind its going to be much tougher on us." The Stars ended the first period a man up and put three shots on Smith for a 7-4 edge in shots. One of Dallas shots was short-handed, as the Stars made it difficult for the Coyotes to get out of their end. Midway through the second period, Dallas had two good scoring chances, but Smith gloved a high drive by Sergei Gonchar and stopped a tip-in attempt by Benn in front of the goal. Nichushkin deflected Daleys slap shot from the blue line for the rookies 13th goal with 34 seconds left in the second period for a 1-0 lead. The goal was reviewed to see whether Nichushkins deflection was on a high stick. NOTES: Whitney has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last seven games against Phoenix. ... Coyotes D Derek Morris (upper-body injury) was inactive. He was hurt during Phoenixs victory over Chicago Friday. C Martin Hanzal, who missed that game because of illness, returned against Dallas. ... The Stars have not allowed more than 28 shots in any of their last 11 games. ... Vrbata has scored three goals in the last four games. ... Saturdays game was delayed briefly in the second period when linesman Ryan Galloway was upended in a collision with Whitney along the boards. Galloway stayed in the game. ... The public address announcer saluted the five Coyotes and three Stars who will be competing in the Olympics. Smith, a former Stars goalie, received almost as strong an ovation as the Dallas players. Cheap Nike Vapormax Australia . Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron scored in the first period after the Red Wings had miscues on the ice and Tuukka Rask finished with a 23-save shutout, giving Boston a 3-0 win over the Red Wings and a 2-1 series lead in their first-round series. Vapormax Australia Cheap .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings take aim at an eighth straight victory on Monday night as they wrap up a road trip versus the Calgary Flames. http://www.australiavapormaxcheap.com/ . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Nike Vapormax Cheap Australia . JOHNS, N. Vapormax Shoes On Sale . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe.INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning still tugs on the heartstrings of Indianapolis football fans. Friends and former teammates are happy hes made it back to the NFLs biggest stage, and the general public is excited to see if No. 18 can win a second Super Bowl ring this weekend, too. Many in this town just wished this incredible season had come in Colts blue rather than Broncos orange. "I think as fans of Peyton, people hoped he would stay with the same team and finish it out," said Jeff Saturday, Mannings longtime centre. "But that wasnt possible. Peyton wanted to still play. The Colts released him and that happens in our business. As a player, you have to move on to the next team and hes done what hes supposed to do." Hes continued to win at a record-breaking rate. Many in Indy never doubted Manning would continue to play at this high level — if he could get healthy. But after missing the entire 2011 season to recover from a damaged nerve in his neck and facing a salary cap dilemma, Colts owner Jim Irsay made the toughest decision of his career — cutting ties with Manning and using the No. 1 draft pick to begin anew. Immediate reactions in Indy were mixed when Irsay tearfully tried to explain he wanted Manning to have another shot at the Super Bowl before his career ended, while the Colts were attempting to remain a Super Bowl contender for the next decade with a completely new cast. So far, so good. Since drafting Andrew Luck, the Colts have posted back-to-back 11-win seasons and reached the playoffs twice. Manning, meanwhile, has posted two straight 13-win seasons, just completed perhaps the greatest regular season by any quarterback in league history and will make his third Super Bowl start Sunday in New York. Indy fans arent surprised by Mannings success, especially after watching him turn this basketball bastion into a football-friendly town. "I think everyone is pulling for him," said Joe Gray, a 59-year-old Colts season ticket holder who was impresssed by the standing ovation Manning got when he returned to Lucas Oil Stadium in October.dddddddddddd "Im not saying I dont like Luck, I just wish Peyton was still here." Grey finds himself in a crowded group. Even longtime friends, such as Saturday and former linebacker Gary Brackett, acknowledge it was tough to see Manning leave, though theyre happy to see him playing well. Some Indy football fans say they cheer for Manning first and the Colts second, which may explain why so many orange No. 18 jerseys — or some variation of them — have been seen around town the last two years. Manning has remained close to the community, too, returning each of the last two springs to host fundraisers for the childrens hospital that bears his name. On Sunday, the Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital at St.Vincent is even planning a Super Bowl viewing party for patients and their families. "We are fortunate to partner with a selfless individual who has given his time and resources off the field for the betterment of children and our overall community," said Vince Caponi, executive chairman of the hospitals board. "Peyton has the highest respect for our health ministry, and values his time spent with its pediatric patients." But to those who know Manning best, this goes far deeper than rooting for an ex-teammate. "My career is over, so now I can sit back and cheer for the guys I respect and hes definitely on top of that list," said Brackett, who served as Indys defensive captain while Manning was the offensive captain. Saturday concurs. "Hes a friend, so Im always pulling for him that way. But to see a guy coming back from all the neck surgeries hes had, at 37, going to another team, going to a Super Bowl, its fun to watch," Saturday said. "Peyton Manning was everything youd want our of a franchise quarterback while he was in Indy. He won the way you wanted to win. It was exactly what you wanted out of a franchise quarterback." ' ' '