Game Recap

DALLAS 4, SAN JOSE 2 SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - It didn't matter that Dallas snapped a three-game losing streak and beat the division-leading San Jose Sharks. All that mattered to the Stars was right wing Grant Marshall. Marshall was elbowed by San Jose captain Owen Nolan early in the Stars' 4-2 victory over the Sharks on Thursday night. His head hit the ice hard and he lay motionless for several moments before being taken from the arena on a stretcher. Marshall, who has six goals and 12 assists this season, suffered a concussion and was hospitalized for observation. "You hold your breath as you watch him get his breath back, then you see his feet move," Stars teammate Mike Modano said. "You just hope he's going to be OK." Afterward, Nolan felt awful. He said he checked on Marshall's condition with team doctors. "It was just a stupid move on my part and there was no need for it," he said. "In the heat of the game sometimes you don't think, you do stupid things, and that's a prime example right there. I just hope he's all right." Stars starting goalie Ed Belfour, who stopped 25 shots, was replaced briefly in the first period by backup Marty Turco. Sharks rookie goalie Evgeni Nabokov faced 20 Dallas shots -- allowing all four goals -- before he was replaced by Steve Shields in the third period. The Sharks scored first on Brad Stuart's hard power-play shot from the blue line in the first period. The Stars tied it on a 5-on-3 power play with Mike Modano's slapper past Nabokov midway through the period. Soon thereafter, the Stars replaced Belfour with Turco, who did not face any shots during his brief 35-second stay in goal. Belfour had struggled with eight losses in 16 starts going into Thursday night's game. "He had a lot of confidence tonight," Modano said. "He made some good saves. When he's strong like that, he's really tough to beat." The Stars took the lead with just 50 seconds left in the period on Darryl Sydor's goal. Defenseman Brad Lukowich added another late in the second period. San Jose winger Niklas Sundstrom beat Belfour with 3:31 gone in the third period, but less than a minute later Joe Nieuwendyk beat Nabokov for Dallas. After Marshall was injured in the first, both teams were sent to the locker room, with the remaining five seconds tacked on to the second period. Nolan, who hit Marshall as the Stars forward was skating to the bench, was assessed a 10-minute match penalty for deliberate injury and left the game. Dallas Stars 4, SAN JOSE SHARKS 2 1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL --- --- --- ----- Dallas 2 1 1 4 San Jose 1 0 1 2 FIRST PERIOD - SCORING: 1, San Jose, Stuart 5 (Suter), 6:03 (pp). 2, Dallas, Modano 16 (Hull, Zubov), 12:11 (pp). 3, Dallas, Sydor 5 (Nieuwendyk, Hull), 19:10 (pp). PENALTIES: Marshall, Dal, major (boarding), 5:03; Ragnarsson, SJ (holding), 10:41; Hannan, SJ (cross-checking), 11:21; Modano, Dal (high-sticking), 16:33; Suter, SJ (hooking), 19:02; Nolan, SJ, match penalty, 19:55. SECOND PERIOD - SCORING: 4, Dallas, Lukowich 2 (Donato), 16:55. PENALTIES: Lyashenko, Dal (hooking), 4:14; Lehtinen, Dal (boarding), 11:07; Hatcher, Dal (interference), 13:30. THIRD PERIOD - SCORING: 5, San Jose, Sundstrom 7 (Sturm, Friesen), 3:31 (pp). 6, Dallas, Nieuwendyk 19 (Hull), 4:10. PENALTIES: Donato, Dal (interference), 1:47; Suter, SJ (tripping), 6:34; Morrow, Dal, major (fighting), 10:38; Bradley, SJ, major (fighting), 10:38; Nieuwendyk, Dal (holding), 13:09. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- Dallas 13 6 4 23 San Jose 8 10 9 27 POWER PLAY: Dallas 2 of 5; San Jose 2 of 8. GOALIES: Dallas, Belfour (4 shots-3 saves), Turco (12:11 first, 0-0), Belfour 20-15-4 (12:46 first, 23-22). San Jose, Nabokov 25-10-4 (20-16), Shields (4:10 third, 3-3). Referees: Shane Heyer, Lance Roberts. Linesmen: Mike Cvik, Mark Wheler. A-17,496 (17,496).