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3rd period lead not
enough
Stars overcome 2-goal deficit and take
shootout
The Sharks wrapped up their brief three-game home
stand with painful 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. San
Jose took a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period and promptly surrendered a pair of
goals on an unlucky bounce and a quick strike by Shark killer Mike Modano. The
Sharks would earn a point by getting he game to overtime, but they’ll be
kicking themselves for a while after this missed opportunity.
After
their mediocre performance on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators,
San Jose had an opportunity to snap out of the duldrums that almost cost them
two points against one of the worst teams in the league.
Rather than
put away a wounded opponent, the Sharks let James Neal’s fluky goal give
that opponent the energy to bag the equalizer.
Neither team could
muster many chances in the opening period, although rookie left winger Jamie
Benn gave Dallas the closest chance when his shot from 12 feet clanked off the
crossbar midway through the period.
Both teams traded minors later in
the period, but both team’s power play units failed to convert.
A
high sticking penalty to Steve Ott at 8:11 of the 2nd period provided the
Sharks with a bit of a spark. Even though they failed to cash in on the man
advantage, the ice began to tilt toward Stars goaltender Marty Turco and the
Dallas net.
The Sharks would finally get to Turco at 10:32 of the
period, when Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski hooked up for the game’s first
tally. Marc Edouard Vlasic sent a pass winding around the end boards to
Paelski, who carried the puck from right to left. Spotting Heatley parked right
on the doorstep, Pavelski sent a centering pass from behind the Stars net.
Heatley gathered in the feed, then swept home his team high 12th goal of the
season.
Ryane Clowe would get in on the act just over two minutes
later. The Sharks forward did an about face with the puck near the left point,
then snapped a 50 foot shot on net. The puck appeared to be deflected by Stars
winger Loui Eriksson on its way to the net. Regardless, the puck found the back
of the net for the 2-0 San Jose lead.
Trevor Daly prevented a third
straight Sharks goal early in the 3rd period, by diving into the crease and
kicking a puck clear of his own goal.
Skating 4-on-4, the Sharks were
whistled for too many men on the ice, giving the Stars some room to work.
Dallas just missed on the ensuing power play, then a loose puck worked over to
the left post, where Stephane Robidas tried to control it. Sharks defenseman
Marc-Edouard was able to tie up Robidas stick enough to delay a shot, denying
the Stars.
The Stars would finally cut into the Sharks lead at
5:50 of the period on a lucky break. Neal sent a shot from the left post, but
the puck hit defenseman Jason Demers skate, changing directions and knuckling
into the Sharks net.
The goal energized the Stars who began to buzz in
the Sharks zone. Modano would break a season long goal scoring drought by
throwing a puck through traffic, beating Nabokov 1:40 after Neal’s goal.
The Sharks fell victim to some shoddy officiating with 8 minutes to
play in regulation when Robidas’ stick caught teammate Neal in the face.
Joe Pavelski was in the vicinity and was errantly called for the high stick.
Devin Setoguchi scooped up a rebound with 3:18 to play and put a shot
on net, but Turco was there to deny the Sharks forward.
Modano would
give the Sharks one late chance on the power play after he slashed Joe Thornton
with 2:26 left in regulation. Thornton and Heatley would team up for a one-time
chance in front of the Stars net, but again, Turco would deny the Sharks.
A wild chance in front of Turco in the first minute of overtime would
fall short for San Jose . Devin Setoguchi found himself with the puck in front
of Turco, but he tried a low percentage backhand attempt, rather than dishing
to Dan Boyle, who would have had a forehand chance that probably had a better
chance of ending things.
Keny Huskins would take a hooking penalty
with 48.3 seconds remaining in the overtime period and Dallas made things
interesting by allowing several juicy chances in front of Nabokov.
In
the shootout Pavelski opened things with a shot that sailed wide of the net.
Neal followed by hitting the left post after racing into the zone. Turco made a
nifty diving save while rolling to his back. Nabokov poke checked Benn’s
chance to keep thins deadlocked at 0-0. Ryan Vesce flat out whiffed on his
shot, which makes his selection for the shootout an interesting one. Robidas
ended things with a wrist shot that beat Nabokov, over the left shoulder.
Game Notes:
Modano’s goal tied him with Maurice
Richard for 27th all time goal scoring list.
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
SO |
T |
| DAL |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
| SJ |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
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| 2nd period - 1, SJ,
Heatley 12 (Pavelski, Vlasic), 10:32. 2, SJ, Clowe 2 (unassisted), 12:43. |
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| 3rd period - 3, DAL,
Neal 10 (Modano, Robidas), 5:50. 4, DAL, Modano 1 (Neal, Eriksson), 7:35. |
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| Shootout - SJ: Pavelski
(miss), Boyle (miss), Vesce (miss). DAL: Neal (miss), Benn (miss), Robidas
(goal). |
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| 1st period - Barch, DAL
(fighting major), 13:51; Stauitz, SJ (fighting major), 13:51; Ott, DAL
(roughing), 14:41; Nichol, SJ (holding), 17:15. |
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| 2nd period - Ott, DAL
(high sticking), 8:11; Huskins, SJ (high sticking), 13:58. |
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| 3rd period -
Fistric, DAL (roughing), 2:36; Nichol, SJ (diving), 2:36, Bench, SJ (too many
men), 3:46; Modano, DAL (slashing), 17:34. |
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| Overtime - Huskins, SJ
(hooking), 4:11. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| DAL - Turco |
32 |
30 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
36 |
34 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| DAL |
10 |
9 |
13 |
4 |
36 |
| SJ |
9 |
12 |
10 |
1 |
32 |
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| Referees: Rehman,
Meier. Linesmen: Cameron, Lazarowich. |
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