3/27/08 SHARKS 3, dallas 2 OT

That one finally went over the line.

It took a 5-on-3 in OT, but the Sharks finally got it done, beating the Stars 3-2 last night. Joe Thornton now has 5 goals in his last 2 games with a pair last night, including the game winner that apparently banked off of Phillipe Boucher's skate. Evgeni Nabokov was his not-as-sleepy-as-Tuesday self, making 23 saves, including an unbelievable goalline plucking that Mike Modano celebrated as though it was in.

The trouble for Dallas star(boo)ted when crazy insaneo netminder Marty Turco, who has always had a short temper, decided to cut off Joe Pavelski's lane to the back of the net by using his stick to block Pavelski's face, opening a cut on Pavelski and getting Turco 4 minutes that was served by Mike Ribeiro. After Soupy Brian Campbell melted onto the ice, Mike Modano stole the puck and walked right in, jersey flapping from the breeze of his ego (and speed, I guess), and proceeded to put the puck under Nabby's pads and wide, then on the stuff back attempt, he was met by the curve of Nabokov's paddle, and denied. For whatever reason, he thought it went in, and gave up, which allowed the Sharks to bring the puck back out, and allowed the 17,496 a chance to apologize for the horrible expletives that came flying from their mouths just moments before.

The unexciting part is when shortly thereafter, Trevor Daley took a stupid hooking penalty, and about 10 seconds later, Thornton banked a pass off Boucher's skate and in, which was initially given to Captain Patrick Marleau. Yes, the game winner, boring.

The win extended the Sharks point streak to 17 games, and moved them to within 3 points of clinching the Pacific Division, something that can be done tonight, on the road against the Anaheim Ducks (ANOTHER 7:00 PM START TIME). The Ducks aren't fully healthy, something that hasn't held them back. Ryan Carter (wrist), Ryan Getzlaf (shoulder), J.S. Giguere (back), Corey Perry (leg), and Chris Pronger (stomping suspension) are all probably out tonight for the Ducks, who have won both games since losing in San Jose last Friday. The Ducks lead the season series 5-2.

GO SHARKS (A win tonight in any fashion clinches the division, so do that)
-Jess