SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joe Pavelski collapsed like a kid on rented skates, nudging the puck straight to Brad Richards as he fell. Richards, who has a few big playoff goals in his past, turned that turnover into the Dallas Stars’ tying score before the San Jose Sharks even knew they were doomed.
Three goals later, Mike Modano and the Stars were headed home with a two-game series lead. The Sharks? Just like Pavelski, they’ve lost their edge.
Modano scored the tiebreaking goal early in the Stars’ four-goal third period, and Marty Turco made 29 saves in a 5-2 victory in Game 2 on Sunday night.
Richards scored the tying goal just 32 seconds into the third period on Pavelski’s turnover, and Niklas Hagman added two insurance goals in the Stars’ eighth victory in their last nine trips to San Jose. Mike Ribeiro also scored an early goal before Dallas put a tremendous finish on another profitable night at the Shark Tank.
“We’ve had amazing third periods so far in the playoffs,” said Modano, who has six goals in six games in San Jose this season. “It was a big trip for us. Now it’s up to us to respond to this at home. We know this is far from over, but at the same time we had a great two days here. Every shift, every night, we’ve looked hungry.”
Dallas hasn’t reached the conference finals since 2000.
Games 3 and 4 are back-to- back, starting Tuesday in Dallas. The Sharks, the NHL’s best road team during the regular season, has won three of four games in Dallas.
“We’ve played very well in Dallas all season long,” Sharks coach Ron Wilson said.
