Game Recap

DALLAS 5, SAN JOSE 4 (OT) SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - As Mike Modano proved on a streaking back-hand 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, 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. Dallas Stars 5, SAN JOSE SHARKS 4 (OT) 1ST 2ND 3RD OT FINAL --- --- --- --- ----- Dallas 0 3 1 1 5 San Jose 1 2 1 0 4 FIRST PERIOD - SCORING: 1, San Jose, Thornton 19 (Sundstrom, Ricci) 14:34. PENALTIES: Helenius, Dal (interference), 2:04; Korolyuk, SJ (hooking), 20:00. SECOND PERIOD - SCORING: 2, Dallas, Nieuwendyk 29, 1:08 (pp). 3, San Jose, Ricci 20 (Marleau, Selanne), 9:26 (pp). 4, Dallas, Matvichuk 4 (Morrow, Modano), 15:33 (pp). 5, San Jose, Ricci 21 (Sundstrom), 17:19 (sh). 6, Dallas, Morrow 20 (Marshall), 17:51 (pp). PENALTIES: Donato, Dal (ob.-holding), 5:23; Granato, SJ (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:23; Langenbrunner, Dal (hooking), 8:28; Morrow, Dal (roughing), 10:10; Sundstrom, SJ (high-sticking), 13:40; Hannan, SJ (interference), 16:34. THIRD PERIOD - SCORING: 7, Dallas, Modono 32 (Lehtinen), 14:18 (sh). 8, San Jose, Ricci 22 (Marleau, Selanne), 19:56. PENALTIES: Hatcher, Dal (slashing), 7:34; Lindsay, SJ (slashing), 7:34; Langenbrunner, Dal, double minor-game misconduct (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:06; Marshall, Dal, major (fighting), 15:18; Marchment, SJ, major-game misconduct (fighting), 15:18. OVERTIME - SCORING: 9, Dallas, Modano 33, 2:10. PENALTIES: None. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- Dallas 7 13 7 1 28 San Jose 8 6 7 2 23 POWER PLAY: Dallas 3 of 3; San Jose 1 of 5. GOALIES: Dallas, Belfour 35-20-7 (23 shots-19 saves). San Jose, Nabokov 32-21-7 (28-23). Referees: Kevin Pollock, Steven Walkom. Linesmen: Wayne Bonney, Brad Lazarowich. A: 17,496 (17,496).