With Tie, Sharks Still Ruling Over Pacific

The Dallas Stars have won three consecutive Pacific Division titles. The San Jose Sharks are determined to end that streak.

Owen Nolan’s short-handed goal midway through the second period lifted the Sharks into a 2-2 tie with the Stars on Wednesday night at Dallas.

The Sharks maintained a five-point lead over Dallas in the Pacific, although the tie ended San Jose’s five-game winning streak. San Jose beat St. Louis, another Western Conference power, on the road Tuesday night.

“We want to be No. 1 in the division,” right wing Teemu Selanne said. “We played a hard game yesterday and another one tonight.”

Jere Lehtinen scored twice for Dallas, 1-2-1-2 in its last six games.

Detroit 3, Phoenix 1--Fredrik Olausson broke a scoreless tie with Detroit’s NHL-best fifth short-handed goal, and Sergei Fedorov and Kirk Maltby had third-period goals as the Red Wings won in Phoenix.

Florida 2, Pittsburgh 0--Roberto Luongo stopped 17 shots in his second shutout of the season, and the Panthers won at Sunrise, Fla.

New Jersey 3, Atlanta 2--Bobby Holik set up a goal and scored two others, including the game-winner with 1:44 to play, to lead the Devils at East Rutherford, N.J.

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The Buffalo Sabres will not allow forward Miroslav Satan to leave the team to play for Slovakia in the preliminary round of the Salt Lake Olympics. Buffalo General Manager Darcy Regier told Satan that his contract makes him a Sabre first, and that he won’t be granted a leave of absence.