Hull, one of the greatest big-game scorers in Stanley Cup playoff history, scored two goals Thursday night -- the second with 4:16 to play -- and the Stars rebounded from one of their worst playoff losses ever to beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in Game 2 of the finals.

Dallas goaltender Ed Belfour, pulled after allowing six goals in an admittedly embarrassing 7-3 loss in Game 1, bounced back to turn aside 27 of 28 shots and give the Stars the road split they were fearful they wouldn't get after Tuesday's dismal game.

"We talked after that, and things had to change," Hull said. "We had to eliminate the mistakes we made."

This time, the Stars tightened up defensively and got an exceptional game from Belfour, who has won his last nine playoff games after a loss.

The game-winner came after nearly two scoreless periods. Mike Modano pushed the puck between the legs of Devils rookie Brian Rafalski to Jere Lehtinen, who seemed to fan on a shot as he skated to the left of the net.

But the puck floated directly to Hull, who chopped it down and past Martin Brodeur for his 11th goal of the playoffs and 88th of his career. It was his 15th career multi-goal playoff game, one more than his famous father Bobby Hull, known as the "Golden Jet."

"I was patient and tried to let Jere and Brett get open," Modano said.

In the playoffs, everything seems to turn to gold for Hull, who was long ago nicknamed the "Golden Brett."

Afterward, Devils coach Larry Robinson complained Lehtinen was "four feet offside" on the play, but said, "That's not why we lost. We didn't play our best game; they didn't play their best game (in Game 1). Now, it's 1-1."

The Stars now have one huge statistical edge on their side going back to Dallas, where they have won 11 of their last 12 home playoff games: the team winning Game 2 has won 25 of the last 28 Stanley Cups.

The Stars also were 1-1 after Game 2 last year against Buffalo, and went on to win three of the next four to win their first Stanley Cup.

"To come out even after that first game is a big boost to us," Hull said. "We knew we had to play a great game to come away with a split."

The Stars, 3-0 in Game 2s in these playoffs, also got their first lead of the series from a familiar source -- Hull, who is also known as "The Sniper."

Hull scored his 10th of the playoffs and fourth in four games, putting a hard wrist shot over Brodeur's glove that hit off the crossbar and fell across the goal line at 4:25 of the first.

Modano also set up the goal, forcing a turnover from Rafalski -- sound familiar? -- along the boards 15 seconds after play resumed following a six-minute delay to fix some broken glass.

"We know the pressure's on us," Modano said. "That's what makes it fun."

Just as it did in Game 1, the first period ended 1-1 as Alexander Mogilny answered for the Devils at 12:42, snapping a shot from the edge of the left circle off Scott Gomez's pass from the blue line. Gomez occupied three Stars in the neutral zone, allowing Mogilny to get a step on the defense.

It was a first for a Stanley Cup final -- one of the first stars to defect to the NHL from the former Soviet Union hockey dynasty being set up for a goal by the league's first Hispanic player.

The Stars played just as they promised to after a Game 1 in which Belfour looked dazed and confused from cold medicine he was taking, allowing six goals on 18 shots.

Belfour was on his game in Game 2, thrice turning aside Randy McKay shots on the doorstep and, another time, stopping Bobby Holik at point-blank range.

He also held New Jersey's top line of Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott and Patrik Elias scoreless after they produced four goals and 11 points in Game 1.

And Dallas' top line, so silent in Game 1, generated nearly all of the Stars' scoring chances, and made Hull's two goals stand up behind Belfour's big night in goal.

"We let the hype and the nervousness get to us, I guess, in Game 1," Modano said. "We felt embarrassed, It was more a pride factor tonight.

The Stars' Dave Manson upends the Devils' Jay Pandolfo in a hard-hitting Game 2.(AP)

The Stars were well aware of the dangers of losing Game 2 and falling down 2-0 to a New Jersey team that had won four consecutive games, including the final three of the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia.

After Game 1, Hull said the Stars took the attitude that, "It's a bad game. Let's go out and show 'em what it's all about."

Only three teams since 1939 have rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win the Stanley Cup: 1942 Toronto, 1966 Montreal and 1971 Montreal. No team in 29 years has done it.

It was the first loss in six games in Devils' Stanley Cup finals history. They swept Detroit as a big underdog in 1995 -- the last Stanley Cup won by an Eastern Conference champion -- and Game 1 of this series.

Game 3 will be Saturday night in Reunion Arena, with Game 4 there on Monday night.

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