SAN JOSE
– First place in the Pacific Division was on the line Monday
night when the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks came together to
each play their 30th game of the season at sold-out HP
Pavilion.
SAN JOSE – First place in the Pacific Division was on the line Monday night when the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks came together to each play their 30th game of the season at sold-out HP Pavilion.
San Jose would have been able to move into a three-team tie for first with Dallas and Anaheim with a victory, but the Stars rallied for a 3-2 decision by claiming a 2-1 margin in the shootout after a scoreless overtime period. Dallas left town with 37 points, leaving Anaheim second at 36 and both San Jose and Los Angeles at 35. Phoenix is fifth in the Pacific Division with 34 points.
The Sharks finish the 2010 portion of their schedule with five of the remaining eight games on the road. San Jose goes to Nashville Wednesday to begin a three-game road trip, returning to HP Pavilion Dec. 21 to play the Edmonton Oilers.
The Stars produced goals on both opportunities in the shootout. After San Jose’s Logan Couture was turned back by Star goalie Andrew Raycroft to begin the shootout, Jamie Benn buried a shot between goalie Antti Niemi’s pads. Joe Pavelski’s blast inside the right post made it 1-1, but Brad Richards sent a low shot inside the left post for the 2-1 edge. Ryane Clowe was stopped on the final round to leave Dallas with the 2-1 decision.
Dallas scored the only goal of the first period when Benn skated down the slot, took Mike Ribeiro’s feed from the endboards and snapped a shot inside the left post past a screened Niemi at the 6:17 mark.
The remainder of the scoring in regulation is accomplished in the second period.
San Jose pulled even at 1-1 at the 6:56 mark on Derek Joslin’s first career NHL goal. The 23-year-old defenseman was in position at the bottom of the left face-off circle to turn Joe Thornton’s feed into a snapshot behind Raycroft. Joslin also has managed six assists in his 47 games in the league.
San Jose was able to take a 2-1 lead at 8:56 after a sustained attack in the Dallas zone for 40 seconds. A shot from the right point by Jason Demers was deflected up and off Clowe’s shoulder before dropping behind the goalie.
Clowe was named the First Star as part of the Three Stars of the Week program announced by the NHL Monday. Clowe led all scorers last week with eight points (three goals, five assists), tallying multiple points in each of the four games played.
Demers gave San Jose a chance at a 3-1 lead midway through the period when his 100-foot pass up-ice to Benn Ferriero set up a breakway for the rookie. Raycroft slid across the left side of the crease to deny Ferriero’s backhander from 10 feet out.
Dallas turned a power play into a tying goal at 17:40 of the third. Stephane Robidas’ slapshot from the top of the slot was redirected by Mike Riberio past Niemi.
“It was a well-played game by both teams,” said San Jose coach Todd McLellan.
San Jose defenseman Douglas Murray was scratched from the line-up because of a lower-body injury.
