SAN JOSE
– James Neal struck for two goals Tuesday to spark the Dallas
Stars to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks at sold-out HP
Pavilion.
The Sharks, now 26-3-3 at home, hold a 25-point edge over
Anaheim, 26 over Dallas in the Pacific Division with 20 games to
play.
SAN JOSE – James Neal struck for two goals Tuesday to spark the Dallas Stars to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The Sharks, now 26-3-3 at home, hold a 25-point edge over Anaheim, 26 over Dallas in the Pacific Division with 20 games to play. San Jose completes the two-game home stand Thursday opposite the Minnesota Wild.
San Jose avoided being shut-out when Joe Thornton tapped in his 17th goal of the year on the club’s first power play of the night. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff took Devin Setoguchi’s pass near the left face-off dot in Dallas territory. Ehrhoff’s crisp feed to a waiting Thornton at the right post resulted in Thornton’s deflection of the puck into the net behind goalie Marty Turco.
Neal, a 21-year-old rookie, opened the scoring at the 6:35 mark of the first period. Brian Sutherby shot from the right post, Brian Boucher’s save leaving a rebound at the left post. Neal deposited the puck for his 19th goal, second-best on the Stars.
Thornton’s goal came 9:07 into play, creating the 1-1 tie at the first intermission.
Mike Modano tallied his 23rd career goal against the Sharks 4:24 into the second period during a 5-on-3 power play.
Joe Pavelski put the Sharks down one skater with a five-minute head-butting major penalty with 8.4 second left in the first period. When Rob Blake earned a cross-checking penalty 2:27 into the second period, San Jose faced two minutes defending a 5-on-3 Stars advantage. The San Jose defense held firm until three seconds remained on the 5-on-3, Modano firing a 15-footer between Boucher’s pads from the right flank.
San Jose managed an 11-9 edge in shots on net in the third period, but Dallas accounted for the scoring.
Sutherby netted his eighth of the year when he fooled Boucher by racing around the left side of the San Jose net as the netminder waited at the right post for the attack. Sutherby’s backhander over Boucher’s right pad made it 3-1 at the 6:32 mark.
Neal completed the scoring at the 7:55 mark when he one-timed a feed from Modano past Boucher from the high slot on a 2-on-1 break.
San Jose and Boston remain tied at 93 points atop the overall standings, while Detroit moved within one point by blanking St. Louis 5-0.
