Sharks slip past Stars, 2-1, for franchise-record 100 points
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks neared a Pacific Division title Sunday at sold-out HP Pavilion when Wayne Primeau’s overtime goal earned the hosts a 2-1 victory over the rival Dallas Stars.
The win pushed San Jose to a franchise-record 100 points, expanding the club’s lead over Dallas to five points with three games left on the schedules of both teams. San Jose can earn its second division crown in the past three seasons with a win in Los Angeles Wednesday against the Kings.
“That was my first overtime goal in the NHL,” said Primeau of his 15-foot slapshot that skidded under goalie Ron Tugnutt’s right pad 2:56 into the extra session. “It’s a great feeling to do this against Dallas, the team we’re fighting with for the division.”
Dallas used three forwards and just one defenseman in the overtime, a strategy noted by the Sharks.
“We wanted to attack any forward playing defense,” said winning coach Ron Wilson. ” Then Jason (Marshall) got the puck to the fastest guy on the ice (Primeau).
“The right guy (Primeau) scored,” continued Wilson. “He did a great job killing penalties. He hangs in there. He’s a warrior and I was proud to see him score.”
Mashall, playng in his 500th NHL game, keyed the winning play with a headman pass to Primeau outside the San Jose zone. Primeau quickly challenged Dallas forward Valeri Bure near the right-wing circle before using the Star as a screen to find the cage.
San Jose entered the game with a four-point advantage. The Sharks allowed the game’s first goal when Star Pierre Turgeon redirected a centering pass from Phillipe Boucher past Evgeni Nabokov with 1:30 gone in the second period.
“We came out and played hard the first 10 minutes,” said Wilson. “We had a bad start in the second period, but other than that we controlled the tempo.
“It’s still not over,” Wilson cautioned. “There’s a lot of work left to do.”
Nils Ekman made it 1-1 when he batted home a rebound of his own shot 8:48 into the second period. Defenseman Tom Preissing made a solid play to keep the puck in the Dallas zone. Alyn McCauley drove a shot from the right point toward Tugnutt. Ekman tipped the puck with his stick as he skated across the crease. Ekman kept his balance and lofted the rebound over Tugnutt.
“The puck was on edge, but I was happy I got it,” said Ekman. “It wasn’t the easiest goal. This win makes us all really proud, something nobody else has done in the franchise history (by reaching 100 points).”
San Jose’s fourth consecutive victory extended its lead over Colorado to six points in the race for the second seed in the Western Conference’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks complete the regular season with home games Friday against Vancouver, then Sunday afternoon against Los Angeles.
