Sharks Finally Show Their Offensive Side

The San Jose Sharks got to Ed Belfour just enough to get back in their playoff series with the Dallas Stars.

Ending a 171-minute 28-second scoring drought that included consecutive shutouts by the Dallas goalie in the first two games of the series, the Sharks broke through for goals by Owen Nolan and Mike Ricci Tuesday night and beat the Stars, 2-1.

The Sharks trail the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series, 2-1, with Game 4 Friday night at San Jose.

San Jose goalie Steve Shields made his team’s sudden offense stand up by stopping 30 shots, including several clutch saves in the final period. Dallas pulled Belfour in the final minute for an extra attacker but Shields smothered Kirk Muller’s wraparound attempt with 30 seconds to play and Dallas failed to register another shot.

San Jose finally got its first goal of the series at 5:42 of the second period and it needed a five-on-three power play to get it. With Blake Sloan and Aaron Gavey in the penalty box, Gary Suter got off a shot from the top of the slot and Ricci, positioned in front of the net, used the shaft of his stick to redirect the shot past Belfour before the Dallas goalie could adjust.

It was the first goal scored on Belfour since early in the third period of Game 5 in Dallas’ first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers, a span of 164:35.

Ricci’s goal was San Jose’s first playoff score since Jeff Friesen’s goal at 14:14 of the second period in the Sharks’ Game 7 victory at St. Louis on April 23, when they completed their first-round upset of the No. 1-seeded Blues.

Nolan, San Jose’s leading scorer who sat out Game 2 at Dallas because of foot and shoulder injuries, came back to score his seventh playoff goal at 14:56 of the second, putting the Sharks in front.

Bryan Marchment started the rush in the San Jose zone, got the puck out on the wing to Vincent Damphousse, who shot a lead pass out to the streaking Nolan. He just managed to take a poke at the puck as it slid across the slot and directed it into the corner of the net past the startled Belfour.

A San Jose turnover near the red line gave the Stars a short-handed breakaway in the final seconds of the second period but Mike Modano’s shot from up close was stopped by Shields.

Dallas opened the scoring on the power play as Modano scored his third of the series.

Shields deflected a shot by Brett Hull but the puck came out to Modano at the bottom of the faceoff circle and he wristed a shot past Shields 3:35 into the game.