DALLAS -- Stopping pucks with his stick and his calf, from his belly and against a 6-on-4 attack, Patrick Roy repeatedly flashed the form that has produced the most wins in NHL history -- exactly 500.
Roy reached the milestone in style Wednesday night, making 31 saves for his seventh shutout this season, tying his career high, and leading the Colorado Avalanche past the Dallas Stars 2-0.
"It´s certainly a special moment," Roy said. "I just want to enjoy it."
Goals by Alex Tanguay and Milan Hejduk continued their hot streaks and helped Colorado to its fifth straight road win. The Avalanche are unbeaten in seven straight on the road and are 12-1-3 in 16 games.
Hejduk has nine goals in 14 games and has a point in five straight. Tanguay, who assisted on Hejduk´s goal, has 14 points in 15 games.
Roy, who´s had the most career wins by a goalie since No. 448, made 13 stops in the final period and most of them were spectacular. Dallas combined a power play and an empty net for a two-man advantage over the final 1:16 and still couldn´t get anything past him.
"He´s the best goalie in the world, the best ever -- that´s what 500 wins means," Colorado defenseman Rob Blake said. "It´s an honor to play with him."
The Stars did beat Roy twice in the first two periods, only to get rejected by the crossbar both times.
"At some point, we all get some breaks," Roy said, "and I´ll take them."
Roy said the round number is nice, but his low-key celebration when time expired indicated it means little more than another souvenir puck for his trophy case.
"It hasn´t been going through my mind," Roy said. "We haven´t practiced the last couple of days and I´ve been eating a lot of pies."
It was much more meaningful for Colorado coach Bob Hartley, and he shared that sentiment before the game with Roy´s 10-year-old son, Fred.
"I was with his son in my office and I said, `Mark this date in your little diary. You might witness something that´s only going to happen one time,"´ Hartley said. "I feel fortunate to be a part of this."
Roy outplayed Ed Belfour, who made 13 saves, and passed his longtime rival on the career shutout list. This was the 59th of his career, tying Dominik Hasek for the lead among active goalies and 12th place all-time.
Roy also had seven shutouts in 1993-94 and ´96-97. He matched it in just his 30th game this season thanks in part to posting three in a row in mid-November.
He earned this one with superb play in the final five minutes.
On one series, he stopped a shot from his left, then knocked away a putback attempt while face-down on the ice. On a power play soon after, Roy used his stick to scoop away a puck just as it slid onto the goal line.
He later stopped a breakaway shot with his left calf, then handled the final flurry. Defenseman Eric Messier helped seal the shutout by diving to the ice to block consecutive shots by Mike Modano in the closing seconds.
"There was never any of the third or fourth chances that you need against a team like that," said Modano, who remains stuck on 399 career goals. "They´re playing really well from the net out."
This was only Colorado´s second regular-season win in Dallas in the last five seasons.
The Stars lost their third straight at home, ending a two-game winning streak built on the road. Dallas´ fourth loss in six games at its new, $420 million facility puts it below .500 (6-7-4-2) at home.
"We can´t have that," captain Derian Hatcher said.
The Stars tested Roy from the start, with Kirk Muller drilling one at him on a power play in the opening minutes. Roy turned away three to kill the penalty and was rewarded with the lead minutes later when Tanguay popped the puck past Belfour for his seventh goal.
Martin Rucinsky, who was among the players Colorado sent to Montreal in the 1995 deal for Roy, nearly tied it in the final seconds of the first period when he caught Roy out of position during an odd-man rush. However, his shot hit the crossbar.
Pierre Turgeon, mired in his longest scoring drought in five seasons, also hit the crossbar midway through the second period while Roy was on the ice following a save. Soon after, Tanguay fed Hejduk for the second goal on a 3-on-1 rush.
Notes: Before the game, Dallas activated LW Brenden Morrow from the injured list. He missed 10 games with a knee injury. ... This was the 700th career game for Hatcher. ... Roy is headed for No. 1 in career games and minutes played either late this season or early next season.
