"We need one play," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "You've got to get one more to get you over the top. That's what it's come down to. There are so many games that you need one more to get you over the top."

In a series where the scoring chances are few and far between and where the goalies are at the top of their game, finishing chances has been key. Vancouver's found that extra goal in three of the four games. Twice they did it in overtime and Tuesday they did it late in regulation. Trevor Linden was the Canucks latest hero.

The Stars came close with the late Ribeiro attempt, which would have tied the game, but Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell made a great play to sweep the puck away as it trickled on the goal line. Throw Mitchell into the hero category as well.

Those were two of the Canucks players who made a difference Tuesday night. The Stars are still looking for somebody besides Marty Turco, who continues to give his team a chance to win with solid goaltending. 

The Stars' power play, a key part of their offense during the regular season and staffed with team's top offensive players, has been unplugged so far by the league's best penalty kill.

Dallas is 2-25 on the power play in the series. It was 0-6 Tuesday and missed on a 1:55 five-on-three in the first period.

"That's a big opportunity," said Tippett. "You know it's going to be a tight game and that's a big opportunity. ... We didn't create the chances and get the one we needed."

Again, the Canucks made the big plays. Alex Burrows with a block. Mattias Ohlund getting his stick on a pass intended for Jere Lehtinen. Roberto Luongo with the big save. Then a puck bounces on a wide open Jere Lehtinen at the side of the net. Opportunity gone.

The Canucks penalty kill has been superb, limiting the Stars' chances and not allowing Dallas to even establish any kind of momentum off a lot of its time with the extra man.

"We've got to find a way," Stars captain Brenden Morrow said. "We've got to be a team that plays to win every one-on-one battle. Until that changes, I don't think we'll have success. ... There were pucks laying around at our feet and those are pucks we have to come up with."

But it was the Canucks who came up with loose pucks at the right time, scoring both their goals off rebound attempts.

The Stars scored on a Darryl Sydor shot from the point with Morrow setting a screen in front of Roberto Luongo, who stopped the other 26 shots he saw.

The Stars got another strong game from Turco, who made 27 saves on 29 shots.

"Marty gave us another good effort and we could've been down 4-0 if not for him," said Morrow. "We weren't a good enough team again tonight."

And right now they have a big hole to climb out of to get back into this series. That means it is cliché time.

"It's do or die now," Sydor said. "Even though its 3-1, we played two solid games in Vancouver, and now we have to go play a solid game there and get it done."

That will start with Thursday's game.

"It's one game at a time. We have to go and pound away and find a way to win a game," Tippett said. "Find a way to win a game and then line it up and find a way to win the next one. We've battled like this all year long. It's coming to the point now that we need the battle that we've had all year to kick in right now. And it's got to kick in on everybody."

"We knew how important this game was," said Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell. "A lot of times Game 4 is a swing game in a series. By no means is this series done, but obviously it gives us a lot of confidence going home. We wanted to forecheck a little harder. I think you saw a better forecheck from us and a better start."

With a 3-1 lead in the series the Canucks are now hoping to take care of business and finish off the Stars Thursday in Vancouver.

"We're going to have a killer instinct now," Vancouver forward Markus Naslund said. "We've got a good chance to beat them at home and that's what we're going to try to do."

• Jussi Jokinen left the game in the first period after suffering what is being described as an "upper body strain" by Stars coach Dave Tippett. Jokinen is listed as day-to-day."