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GAME: Colorado Avalanche (21-10-7-2) at Dallas Stars (18-17-8-0).

The Dallas Stars proved they can win without Mike Modano.

Beating the talent-laden Colorado Avalanche without one of the game's best players won't be quite as easy Saturday.

Modano strained his groin during a 6-0 loss to Phoenix on Jan. 2, and was placed on injured reserve Friday. He isn't expected to start skating until next week.

In their first two games without their captain, the Stars played to consecutive 2-2 road ties against Los Angeles and Anaheim.

Dallas, also playing without forward Brenden Morrow and defenseman Philippe Boucher, got goals from unexpected sources Steve Ott and Scott Young in a 2-1 victory over visiting Atlanta on Thursday.

The Stars, who have just one loss in their last 10 games (5-1-4), could get Morrow and Boucher back in the lineup Saturday. Morrow is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury while Boucher is probable with the flu.

"We're finding ways to get points, which is what we're all about," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

Marty Turco, selected as a starter to the Western Conference All-Star team Thursday, held an opponent to two goals or fewer for the 19th time in his last 22 starts.

Colorado failed to hold a two-goal lead Thursday against Nashville, and had its four-game win streak snapped with a 4-3 loss in overtime.

After watching David Aebischer given up four goals on 23 shots, Avalanche coach Tony Granato refused to blame his goalie for the loss.

"If he plays only one game every 30 or 40 like this, that's OK," Granato said. "That's going to happen. A goaltender's going to be unhappy that a couple got by him. But he's been very solid for us. We can't blame our goaltender. We can't blame anything except we didn't have a strong enough effort to win tonight."

The Avalanche managed to go 8-4-5-1 while reigning league MVP Peter Forsberg sat out with an abdominal injury. They are 5-1-0-1 since Forsberg's return, with the star center collecting two goals and eight assists in those games.

A healthy Forsberg and the return of Paul Kariya on Tuesday to a lineup that already includes Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay should make one of the league's best teams even better.

"We haven't been together since early in the season, so it's great that we're all back," Kariya said.