Dallas Stars 4, San Jose Sharks 2

by Mark Stepneski of Andrew's Stars Page

Dallas' special teams get Stars a crucial road win.

The San Jose Sharks are one of the least penalized teams in the league, but they got into penalty trouble Saturday afternoon and the Dallas Stars' power play made them pay the price. The Stars scored twice on the power play in the second period to take a 3-2 lead and then they shut the Sharks down in the third to skate away with a 4-2 win and sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division.

"We competed hard, and our power-play got us a couple big goals," said Stars head coach Dave Tippett. "We found a way to win."

For the second straight game the Stars' top line scored all the goals. Mike Ribeiro and Antti Miettinen tallied on the power play and Brenden Morrow scored at even strength. Sergei Zubov chipped in two assists. Steve Ott sealed the win with an empty net goal in the final minute of the game. Marty Turco stopped 16 of 18 shots, including a big stop on Joe Thornton in the third period to preserve Dallas' one goal lead at the time.

The Stars, who are opening a four-game road trip, have now won three straight games, five of their last seven and 11 of their last 15. They've also won five straight in San Jose.

San Jose lost for just the second time in their last eight games overall, but dropped back below .500 at home this season (6-7-2).

"I think we were carrying the play until we took the two bad penalties in the second period," said San Jose head coach Ron Wilson. "I thought we set the tone for the first half of the game."

The first period was tightly played and physical. Just after Sharks forward Steve Bernier nailed Ribeiro with a hard hit, Morrow took an elbowing penalty in retaliation. That put San Jose on the power play and the Sharks quickly cashed in to take a 1-0 lead. After Thornton won an offensive zone faceoff, he got the puck back and set up a wide open Devin Setoguchi at the side of the net and Setoguchi beat Turco with a backhand shot at the 7:54 mark.

The Stars got a 4:00 power play at little less than two minutes later when San Jose defenseman Craig Rivet, already heading to the box for cross-checking, went after Steve Ott for a hit on Thornton. But the Stars couldn't take advantage as Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov stopped all three shots he faced during the back-to-back power plays.

San Jose came close to making it a 2-0 game later in the period on another power play chance, but Thornton's backhand chance that got by Turco hit the post.

The Stars outscored the Sharks 3-1 in the second to take a 3-2 lead that would hold up the rest of the way. Dallas tied the game 4:52 into the second when Morrow was hacking at the puck behind the net, tried to pass it and it went over the net, where Morrow eventually stuffed it past Nabokov.

"I'd love to tell you a great story," said Morrow, "but it was just an ugly pass that I tried to make. It went up and over the net. I thought it might land on Nabokov's back and roll in but it touched down in front of him. But I got free and was able to get the puck in there."

Less than a minute later the Sharks regained the lead when Patrick Rissmiller came out from behind the Dallas net and beat Turco with a backhand shot from just below the left faceoff circle.

The Sharks got themselves in penalty trouble later in the period and the Stars took advantage. With Matt Carle in the box for delay of game, Christian Ehrhoff took an interference penalty, putting the Stars on a 1:42 five-on-three power play.

The Stars scored 24 seconds into it when Ribeiro pulled the puck loose during a scramble in front of the net involving Morrow and scored at 10:44 to tie the game at 2-2.

"There's no one really there to check me once they're focused on Brenden (Morrow) and where the puck is," Ribeiro said.

The Stars got their second 4:00 power play of the game at 14:32 of the second when Patrick Marleau took a double minor for high sticking. The Stars scored on the second half of that one when Miettinen tipped a Mike Modano point shot past Nabokov at 16:56 of the second.

San Jose got a power play in the third and Turco came up with a point blank stop on Thornton to keep it a 3-2 game.

"I didn't see him - it happens," Turco said. "He tried to put it right through me. He just buried it. I had no idea what was going on."

Ott scored into an empty net with 41 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Stars.

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