Monday, April 28, 2008

Dallas Stars 5, San Jose Sharks 2

By Mark Stepneski of Andrew's Stars Page

Another series, another 2-0 start on the road for the Dallas Stars. Brad Richards scored a goal and assisted on three others in the third period as the Stars scored four unanswered goals to rally by the San Jose Sharks for a 5-2 win and a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinal series.

"We needed a strong [third] period to win the game, and our guys came up with one," said Stars coach Dave Tippett.

Mike Modano scored the game-winning goal on the power play, Niklas Hagman scored twice and Mike Ribeiro also scored for the Stars.

"It's huge to be up 2-0," said Stars center Mike Modano. "It's a very big trip for us."

Marty Turco stopped 29 shots and made several big stops early in the game when the Sharks were on the attack due to three power plays.

Sergei Zubov returned to the lineup for the first time since January and picked up an assist, a slick no-look backhand pass to set up Modano's goal in the third period.

"You have to realize it's coming to you,'' Modano said of the Zubov pass. "He made another great play.''

The loss left the Sharks in a 2-0 hole and puts the pressure on them to win Game 3 in Dallas on Tuesday or into a deeper 3-0 hole that would all but seal their fate in the series.

"We've played very well in Dallas all season, we're down 2-0, we can relax now and just push the pace," said Sharks coach Ron Wilson. "It's as simple as that. Play as a desperate hockey team."

"When push comes to shove, this team rises to the occasion," said Sharks captain Patrick Marleau. "We are going to have to prove that again."

The Stars were down 2-1 heading into the third period, but tied the game 32 seconds into the final frame when Sharks forward Joe Pavelski fell down and lost the puck in his own zone and Richards took advantage, grabbing the puck and ripping a shot past Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov from the slot.

"We got a lucky break with Pavelski falling," Richards said. "I was fighting it a bit in the first five periods of this series. It wasn't a good feeling. You just have to keep grinding away, and sometimes you get a break."

Said Pavelski: "I had time, I went to cut back, I lost my feet and lost the puck. He's a good player, he went in and made a good shot."

The Stars went on their first power play of the game - an abbreviated one - at 3:22 of the third period, but it took them just 17 seconds to score. Zubov made the slick pass to Modano, who beat Nabokov with a shot from the left circle at the 3:39 mark to the give the Stars the lead for good.

Richards set up the insurance goal with 6:05 left when he came down the left wing, went behind the net and put the puck back out front, where Hagman punched it past Nabokov for his goal of the post season. Hagman sealed the deal with an empty net goal with 1:15 remaining.

San Jose got three early in power plays in the game and killed off the first thanks to Turco, who stopped a redirection by Jeremy Roenick and then a Joe Thornton shot that bounced off traffic. But the Sharks cashed in on the third one to take a 1-0 lead when Pavelski redirected a Craig Rivet shot from the point past Turco 10:13 into the game.

The Stars drew even when Ribeiro got to a rebound of a Brenden Morrow shot and scored from behind the goal when his shot bounced off Nabokov and into the net at the 15:37 mark of the first period.

The Sharks came close to extending their lead in the second when Torrey Mitchell was about to put the puck over the goal line, but Stu Barnes knocked the puck away at the last second.

But San Jose finally went ahead at the 14:54 of the second period. After Nabokov stopped a Zubov shot from the point, the Sharks moved the puck up ice, Brian Campbell got the puck to Milan Michalek, who split between Zubov and Trevor Daley and beat Turco on a breakaway to make it a 2-1 game.

Pegasus News content partner - Andrew's Stars Page
Stars Stats, Schedule, Roster, and Blog

See more stories in:

• Hockey > NHL > Stars

Comments

Brad LaRock Staff

This years Dallas Stars have me excited about hockey again. Last nights game showed a real will to win, they were making shots into the net unlike another pro team who could not make them through the net last night. Mavs are wearing me out, but thats a whole 'nother post. Go Stars!

2 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Joel Woiton Verified

Even though I can't keep interested in a hockey game on TV. I'm glad that at least one team in the Dallas area has a will to win a playoff game.

2 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )