Jokinen's shootout streak ends, but Stars still prevail

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Jussi Jokinen's shootout streak ended at nine straight, but Mike Modano, Antti Miettinen and Marty Turco saved the day as the Dallas Stars improved to a perfect 10-0 in shootouts with a 4-3 win in San Jose Saturday afternoon.

The win was the fourth straight and the seventh in the last eight games for the Stars, who got regulation goals from Jere Lehtinen, Niko Kapanen and Modano, who also had two assists in the game.

"This is the end of a real tough spot in our schedule," Stars coach Dave Tippett told the Associated Press. "We managed to pluck a lot of points from this part of the schedule."

Turco, who stopped three of four shots in the shootout, made 25 saves in regulation and overtime and picked up his league-leading 36th win of the season.

The Stars also won for the tenth time this season when trailing after two periods, which established a new NHL record.

The Sharks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped but have picked up points in six straight games (4-0-2), fell to 1-7 in shootouts this season.

"I could give a (expletive) about the shootout, ok," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said after the game. "We battled and its one of those things. You roll the dice and put guys out there that are capable of scoring and its just a one on one battle and unfortunately for us it hasn't worked out, but it's not for lack of effort."

After both Sergei Zubov and Jokinen missed wide on their shootout attempts, Milan Michalek put the Sharks up with a nice fake on Turco and a backhand shot.

Modano needed to score to keep the Stars alive and he did, ripping a wrist shot in the top corner of the net over Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala's left shoulder to keep it tied.

After Turco stopped San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo, Miettinen was up next for the Stars. He used a nice fake and then whipped the puck in between's Toskala's legs to put Dallas up 2-1 in the shootout.

Turco then sealed the deal when he stopped Nils Ekman's attempt to stuff the puck into the net just inside the post.

Special teams play helped the Stars take the lead after the first 20 minutes. The Stars' penalty kill was a perfect 2-2 in the period and then the power play scored on its only chance to put them up 1-0.

Mike Modano busted in along the left side and put a shot on net from the left faceoff circle and Lehtinen knocked home the rebound for his 30th goal of the season at the 15:55 mark.

After killing off the Sharks third power play of the game, the Stars got their third power play chance and struck again to take a 2-0 lead.

After Modano put a wrist shot on net from the left point, Kapanen got to the puck during a scramble and beat Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala at the 11:07 mark.

But about three minutes later the Sharks started to step up the pressure and kept play almost exclusively in the Stars' end. It eventually paid off as San Jose scored three goals in a 1:19 span to take a 3-2 lead.

After a Dallas turnover, San Jose forward Ville Nieminen scored off the rebound of his own shot at 17:09 to make it a 3-1.

Just 32 seconds later the Sharks struck again and Nieminen again played a key role. After picking off a pass along the boards, Nieminen put a shot on net from the left point and Pat Rissmiller deflected it past Turco to tie the game at 2-2.

Forty-five seconds later the Sharks took the lead. Milan Michalek took a pass from Steve Bernier, skated around Jon Klemm and then lifted the puck over Turco, who tried to poke check the puck off the San Jose forward's stick.

Modano tied the game for the Stars 6:29 into the third period. After Lehtinen won a puck battle along the boards in the neutral zone, he got the puck to Modano, who broke in on Toskala, skated across the top of the crease and then lifted the puck over the falling Sharks goalie.

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