Saturday, Apr. 7 3:00pm ET
Modano scores second of game in OT
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – As Mike Modano proved on a streaking
backhand goal, the Dallas Stars decided they wouldn't end the
regular season at anything less than full speed.
Modano scored his second goal of the day with 2:50 left in
overtime as the Stars finished the season with a 13-game unbeaten
streak, beating the San Jose Sharks 5-4 on Saturday.
|  | | Dallas' Richard Matvichuk, right, gets hit by Tony Granato, but the defenseman wound up scoring his fourth goal of the season later in the second period. |
Dallas, already locked into third place in the conference
standings, had little to gain from a win. But coach Ken Hitchcock
still started Ed Belfour and gave significant ice time to most of
his regulars to tune up for the playoffs and take a shot at the
Jennings Trophy.
"You never want to get too far away from your game, because
there's the fear you might never get it back," Hitchcock said.
"We're ready for the playoffs now. We're at a point where so many
things have gone well for us, we didn't want it to stop."
San Jose's Mike Ricci scored his third goal on a deflection with
3.6 seconds left in regulation, allowing the Sharks to clinch fifth
place in the Western Conference with the point for an overtime
defeat.
"It would have been nice to win, but we got what we wanted out
of it," Ricci said. "You want to finish as high as you can, and
we've been coming on lately."
Modano also had a short-handed breakaway goal with 5:43 left in
regulation for the Stars, who haven't lost since March 11. His
slick backhander in overtime fooled Evgeni Nabokov, who made 23
saves.
"I just got a chance there, and I hit it," Modano said. "I
know this game didn't really matter, but we'll be more ready for
the playoffs with a win to think about for the next few days."
Actually, Hitchcock nearly scratched both Modano and Jere
Lehtinen, who fed Modano with the pass that led to his short-handed
goal. Instead, the Stars rested Sergei Zubov and Mike Keane – and
Modano won the game.
"You're always worried about injuries, but he didn't put
himself in any vulnerable areas," Hitchcock said of Modano. "He's
really on top of his game right now, and he's having fun."
After allowing four goals, the Stars probably won't beat out the
Sabres as the NHL's best defensive team, but they scored three
power-play goals against the Sharks. Joe Nieuwendyk, Richard
Matvichuk and Brenden Morrow all scored tying goals against San
Jose, which blew three one-goal leads.
Ricci scored both on the power play and short-handed in the
second period. Scott Thornton scored once against his former team
for the Sharks.
Ricci's third goal came moments after he won a faceoff against
Modano in the Stars' zone. With Nabokov pulled for an extra
attacker, the puck went to Patrick Marleau, and his shot was
deflected between Belfour's pads by Ricci, who was alone in front
of the Stars' net.
"I didn't realize I was that wide-open," Ricci said. "You
don't really think about (the hat trick). I got a lot of breaks,
and I got the benefit of a lot of other guys' hard work."
Ricci's second career hat trick came on fan appreciation day in
San Jose. As the Sharks celebrated the tying goal, fans blanketed
the ice with at least a thousand black baseball caps given away at
the door earlier. It took about five minutes to clear the ice.
The overtime loss, San Jose's first at home this season, assures
the Sharks of a first-round playoff meeting with the St. Louis
Blues, who were knocked off by the Sharks in the 2000 postseason
after finishing the regular season with the NHL's best record.
It also made Sunday night's game against the Mighty Ducks
notable only for Teemu Selanne's return to Anaheim and the return
of Vincent Damphousse, who has been out since Jan. 15 with a
shoulder injury.
Belfour made 19 saves to improve to 35-20-7.
The game was the first meeting between the teams since Nolan
clobbered Dallas' Grant Marshall with a blindside hit that earned
Nolan an 11-game suspension. There were no incidents between Nolan
and the Sharks, though Bryan Marchment fought Marshall with 4:42
left in the game.
Game notes
Morrow, who turned pro last season, was the only Dallas
player to see action in all 82 games this season. Modano and Darryl
Sydor missed only one game apiece. ... Ricci had his second
straight 20-goal season and the sixth of his 11-year career. His
trick came in front of a crowd that included his mother and his
daughter. ... The Sharks named Nabokov their player of the year.
The rookie, a favorite for the Calder Trophy, set franchise records
for victories and shutouts this season. ... Thornton skated
gingerly to the bench after a hard check by Grant Ledyard in the
third period.
 Send this story to a friend
|
|
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
San Jose Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 4
Colorado 3
Florida 3
NY Rangers 0
Philadelphia 4
Pittsburgh 3
Dallas 5
San Jose 4
Boston 4
NY Islanders 2
New Jersey 2
Montreal 0
Ottawa 5
Toronto 3
St. Louis 1
Nashville 0
Los Angeles 3
Calgary 2
Edmonton 4
Vancouver 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Mike Modano weaves through the Sharks for a goal in OT.
avi: 1127 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
San Jose's Scott Thornton powers the puck past Ed Belfour.
avi: 1393 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Joe Nieuwendyk scores on Evgeni Nabokov for a power-play goal.
avi: 1084 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
A great second effort by San Jose's Mike Ricci pays off for a goal.
avi: 1355 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mike Modano feeds Richard Matvichuk for a power-play goal.
avi: 921 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
